Predicament
by Inocciduous
Summary: There is no impeccable disguise, every disguise can be seen through. After Scorched Halloween, Saegusa Koichi smells something amiss with regards to Tatsuya and begins to investigate him. As Tatsuya's disguise gets exposed bit by bit, he gets caught between the Saegusa and the Yotsuba. T rated just to be safe. Warning: Tatsuya goes OOC
1. Parasite Arc 1

**My first Fanfic, please forgive my grammatical errors. Constructive feedback is appreciated.**  
 **This fanfic is a continuation from The Ojou-sama's magnificent day off. The prologue is a brief summary of it just in case you have not read it.**

 ***Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI***

 **Prologue**

The year 2095, November 2nd

Itsuwa Moi and Itsuwa Hirofumi, one of the 13 internationally acknowledged Strategic Class Magicians, visited Mayumi at the Saegusa residence before heading to the frontlines. They wanted insight into their enemy's magic from Mayumi. Mayumi, having stayed on the rear during most of the fight, recommended that they turn to Mari, Kei, Kanon and Katsuto for insights. After Moi and Hirofumi left, Koichi asked Mayumi to set up a meeting with the Shiba siblings.

 **Chapter 1**

"Tatsuya-kun, Miyuki-chan, follow me for a moment," Mayumi said and exited the Student Council room.

"My father would like to invite both of you to the Saegusa residence for dinner tomorrow. Will you be able to make it?"

"Is it related to my magic?" Tatsuya asked in a rather serious tone.

Mayumi pressed her lips and shook her head. She had made sure everyone who had witnessed Tatsuya's magic keep a tight seal on their lips so it was impossible for her father to have heard of Tatsuya's unique magic.

Tatsuya had his doubts on whether Saegusa Koichi had information on his magic. Of course, he ruled out the possibility that Mayumi had backstabbed him, but rather he knew of Koichi's infamous reputation to acquire even the best-kept secret. Either way, it was an invitation that he was in no position to decline. After all, how could he reject an invitation from the head of the Saegusa family?

 **(Scene Change)**

Still troubled from Mayumi's invitation, Tatsuya let out a sigh and sat in front of his workstation.

"Onii-sama, are you troubled by the fact that Saegusa-sama might have smelled something fishy regarding your identity?" Miyuki asked Tatsuya as she served him a cup of coffee.

"As expected, I can't hide anything from my Miyuki. Saegusa-sama most likely suspects that I am not a regular high school student due to my combat and CAD engineering abilities. He will most likely use the dinner as a platform to try to uncover more about me."

"Onii-sama, although they are the Saegusa, they will most likely not know about any of your identities. …Your identities are being safeguarded by the Yotsuba after all"

"Right, do not worry about it Miyuki" Tatsuya replied with a forced smile.

Miyuki quickly left Tatsuya, knowing that she said the wrong thing.

Worried that Miyuki will blame herself for bringing up the Yotsuba in front of him, he wanted to go after her to comfort her, but for once he felt that it was better for him to have some time alone. After all, he needed to think about how he will face Saegusa Koichi tomorrow night.

Letting out yet another sigh, Tatsuya drank the coffee Miyuki brewed for him and allowed his brain to go to work.

 **(Scene change)**

The following evening after school, Tatsuya dressed in a formal suit while Mayumi put on a gown for the dinner. Although the siblings made an effort to arrive ahead of time, it was Mayumi who was waiting for them at the reception.

"I hope we didn't make you wait too long, senpai" Tatsuya said as he and Miyuki approached Mayumi.

For the first time, Tatsuya saw Mayumi in formal attire. His eyes unwittingly darted all across Mayumi to take in the full spectrum of beauty standing in front of him.

"Tatsuya-kun, how do I look?" Mayumi slowly twirled then stopped to cup her face and gave Tatsuya a charming wink.

"You look gorgeous." Tatsuya delivered his textbook answer with a flat tone.

"Jeez, at least put some effort into your compliments if you really mean it." Mayumi pouted with her hands at her hips.

"You look really gorgeous Mayumi-senpai." Tatsuya made sure he had put an emphasis on the word "really" this time around, yet he still sounded like a robot.

"You really do need a lesson on how to talk to girls Tatsuya-kun." Mayumi shook her head in disbelief.

Miyuki giggled as she watched Mayumi tease her brother. Seeing that even his own sister enjoyed seeing him being teased, he could only resign to his fate and surrender to Mayumi's teasing.

The moment the trio shared did not last as Mayumi brought them to the dining room where Koichi waited. As they stood outside the door, a serious mood set in and cleared all the smiles off of their faces.

"I'm sure the both of you are aware of my father's infamous reputation. I may be his daughter, but even I have no idea what he is about to put both of you through. Be careful in there the both of you." Mayumi had a hand on both Tatsuya's and Miyuki's shoulder as she warned them. She then turned towards the door and put on her best poker face before opening the door.

"Father, they are here."

"Ah, nice to meet both of you. Although we have not met prior to this, I have already heard enough about both from you through the 9SC and my daughter. I am sure that my daughter has said a couple of words regarding me as well so let us skip the formalities and proceed straight to dinner" Saegusa Koichi said while remaining seated.

Tatsuya pulled out a chair for Miyuki before sitting himself down next to her and opposite of Koichi. Meanwhile, Mayumi found herself a seat next to her father.

Immediately after they were all seated, the servants began serving dinner and they started dinning.

"Tatsuya-san, your display of skill in the 9SC was spectacular. All the competitors that you rendered your help to sweep the competition. Not to mention your victory against the scion of Ichijio had caused a huge commotion within the magic community." Koichi opened the conversation with a compliment.

"I am humbled, Saegusa-sama, but perhaps you are giving me more credit than I deserve, the competitors played a huge role in achieving their victories too."

"No, after all, First High monopolised the top places for all the events that you were in charge of."

"That's right onii-sama, you deserve at least that much credit" Miyuki commented. She was happy for his brother being recognised and she would definitely not allow his brother to discredit himself.

"Ah, Miyuki-san your performance during the Mirage Bat and Ice Pillar Break was spectacular as well. Not to mention you were the first to use flying-type magic during the Mirage Bat competition."

"Thank you, but I have to give credit to my brother for training me and adding the flying-type magic to my CAD prior to my competition."

"I am honestly surprised that your brother was able to obtain the magic sequence for the flying-type magic that was not released to the public yet. Even if I utilised my connections to the fullest, I would still have trouble getting that magic sequence prior to its release." Koichi remarked with a sly smile.

Miyuki bit her lips, knowing that she had said the wrong thing. Her brother will now be stuck between a rock and a hard place because of her.

"I have the privilege of being the beta tester for the FLT, thus I was able to get my hands on the flying-type magic before the public," Tatsuya replied without missing a beat.

"For a high school student to be selected as a beta tester for the FLT is definitely quite a feat, although it should not be too surprising to you considering your prodigious CAD engineering abilities.

I also heard that the magic that was adopted into the 'National Magic University Compiled Magic Encyclopaedia Index of True Names' was registered under Shizuku Kitamaya but was actually created by you. What about your teammate's unique CAD, was it created by you too?"

"Indeed, I created both the magic and the CAD," Tatsuya replied with a stoic face. However, under his poker face, he felt increasingly uneasy as the conversation continued. He really hated that this conversation felt no different from a typical conversation with Yotsuba Maya.

Saegusa Koichi didn't find a weak spot in Tatsuya's poker face, but experience told him that he was definitely panicking under his poker face.

"Are you affiliated to FLT?"

"Other than being one of their beta testers, I am not otherwise affiliated to the FLT."

"Then would you like to be hired as a Magic engineer by the Saegusa family?"

None of them could hide their astonishment.

"I am afraid that I do not have a license." Tatsuya humbly rejected Koichi's offer.

"It is not illegal to hire a Magic engineer without a license."

"If I accept your offer, it will certainly stir up the magic community. After all, one of the strongest clans should not be hiring a magic engineer that does not even have a license."

"The Saegusa family is no stranger to going against the trend, Tatsuya-kun. Furthermore, a licence is a form of recognition and not a requirement. I see no reason for you to worry. That is unless you want to turn down my offer and create even more attention for yourself.

That was the nail in the coffin. If word spreads that Tatsuya rejected Koichi's offer, it would garner him unpleasant attention. Tatsuya was left with no choice.

"Then I shall accept this offer with pleasure."

"Come on a weekly basis then. You can start tomorrow after you finish school."

"A pleasure to be working with you" Tatsuya barely forced those words out of his mouth as he extended his hand to shake Koichi's.

"Mayumi, show Tatsuya the room where we do our CAD maintenance. Inform me if you find that the equipment is insufficient Tatsuya-san." Koichi said.

Mayumi, Miyuki and Tatsuya exited the dining room and Mayumi showed the way to the CAD maintenance room. After Tatsuya left the dining room, he had been giving off a 'leave-me-alone' aura. Mayumi could tell that Tatsuya was clearly troubled by her father's offer. 'Tatsuya-kun should be happy, there will be so many magic engineers who are jealous of him, so why is he so troubled?' Those thoughts floated in Mayumi's mind but she could only suppress her urge to ask.

Mayumi led them down to the basement and opened the door to the CAD maintenance room. Tatsuya frowned upon entering the room, it had only the most basic equipment required for CAD maintenance. "You seem rather disappointed Tatsuya-kun. Are you expecting the latest, state-of-the-art CAD maintenance equipment from the FLT?" Mayumi asked.

"I was expecting more since it is the Saegusa clan, this is barely enough for basic CAD maintenance."

"Are you insinuating that you would like more equipment? We can easily get it you know."

"Yes, I would appreciate it if your family could obtain more equipment. It is rather late Mayumi-senpai, I would like to take my leave now." Tatsuya gave a slight bow turned and headed for the door and Miyuki quickly followed her brother. Tatsuya left the Saegusa residence in such a haste Mayumi couldn't even walk them out.

"Onii-sama isn't that a little rude?"

"Yes, but I didn't want to give Mayumi-senpai any chance to ask questions. She must be really confused right now since I should be ecstatic that I am hired to be the Saegusa clan's magic engineer, yet I appear to be so troubled. To avoid her from asking questions that may put me deeper into suspicion, I can only opt to be slightly rude." Tatsuya explained as they went back home

 **(Scene Change)**

Meanwhile, Saegusa Koichi retreated into his study. "Nakura, your report."

Nakura stepped forward and handed Koichi a file containing all the information of whatever he could uncover about Tatsuya.

"He personal information is too clean. Even his mother is not shown huh? Interesting."  
Koichi said with a sly smile. "His house is owned by his father, Shiba Tatsurou? Nakura."

"Yes, Saegusa-sama."

"Investigate his father, Shiba Tatsurou."

 _*Knock Knock*_

"Father it is me, Mayumi."

"Just a moment, Mayumi.

Nakura, you are dismissed, go out by the backdoor. Do not let Mayumi know that you talked to me."

Nakura nodded and exited the room with urgency.

"Mayumi, you may come in now."

"Father, Tatsuya and Miyuki just left, although Tatsuya seemed quite troubled."

"It is only natural, after all, he is a high school student but he has the pressure of being the Saegusa clan's magic engineer. Not to mention he does not even have a license and under scrutiny. Unlike you, he may not be trained to handle such pressure. That aside, what did Tatsuya-san say about our CAD maintenance room?"

"Ah, he said that he would like more equipment to go along with the existing equipment."

"I will arrange for that, after all, we only have the most basic equipment. Mayumi, do you think Tatsuya intentionally tanked his entrance examination?"

" Initially I thought so too since he scored so well for his written examination, but after he defeated Hattori-san, I figured that he did not. The examination was not able to completely measure his ability."

"I see. Mayumi, you are dismissed."

Mayumi left the room, leaving Koichi alone in his study. He picked up his phone and dialled a familiar number. "Sir, I am sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, but I would like you to share with me some of your insight. What do you think of that child, Shiba Tatsuya?"

The one on the other side of the phone is none other than Kudou Retsu, the most influential person in the magic community and Koichi's sensei.

"Ah, that child. He is indeed an interesting one. He is not just a regular high school student. Koichi-san does not belittle him, nothing can escape him. Do not even try to tame him, he is the devil and the angel. Heed my advice and proceed with caution, Koichi-san, I am afraid I cannot share anything beyond that, goodnight."

Kudou Retsu ended the call, leaving Koichi in a silent study. Kudou Retsu's words circled his mind for a while. "He is an angel and a devil?"

At the same time, Mayumi lied down in her bed with a frown. "How rude of Tatsuya-kun! To just walk off like that in my house. Tatsuya-kun does not crumble under pressure though, I wonder what he is troubled about."

 **(Scene change)**

"Tatsuya-kun~"

Tatsuya and Miyuki without even turning their heads, that it was Mayumi. They waited for Mayumi to catch up before continuing their walk to school.

"Good morning, Senpai, I apologise for my behaviour last night" Tatsuya bow his head and apologised.

"Ah please raise your head, I didn't take it to heart." Mayumi then leaned towards Tatsuya and continued in a teasing tone," You are _my_ reliable kouhai after all, how can I take a grudge against you."

Tatsuya was completely unfazed by Mayumi's provocative actions and took a step back to distance himself from Mayumi.

"Sometimes I wonder if you are a normal high school boy. You never react no matter what a girl does to you. It is as if you cannot feel lust."

"I have become accustomed to being around beauties thanks to my sister."

Miyuki's face was flushed red by Tatsuya's statement.

"There is the sis-con, Miyuki is all red because of you Tatsuya. I shall leave and not be the third wheel, bye!" Mayumi said in a playful tone and ran off to join her friends.

"O-Onii-sama, have you not told anyone other than Honoka that you are missing your emotions." Miyuki stammered as she desperately tried to hide her embarrassment.

"No, but I am honestly surprised that Honoka has not told anybody yet. See you after school, Miyuki." Tatsuya said as they reached Miyuki's classroom. He then walked towards his own classroom and continued his daily routine in school.

"EHHH, Tatsuya-kun, is it true that you were hired as the magic engineer of the Saegusa clan?" Erika exclaimed the moment Tatsuya stepped in the classroom. Everyone's eyes were now on Tatsuya, waiting for a response to the seemingly wild speculation.

"Yes, it happened last night when I had dinner with the head of Saegusa clan," Tatsuya responded. 'Word sure spreads fast, was it Saegusa Koichi's doing?' Tatsuya thought while he walked to his seat.

It quickly became a hot topic and word had gone around the school by lunchtime. Tatsuya and Miyuki opted to have lunch in the Student Council Room to avoid the students in the cafeteria.

"You are the talk of the town, Tatsuya-kun"

"I knew that this would happen when I got hired, but I didn't expect the word to spread so fast," Tatsuya responded to Mari.

"Did Mayumi recommend you to her father?"

"Mayumi seemed equally shocked at her father's request."

"Tatsuya and Miyuki, you have a visitor, they are currently at the guest room," Mayumi said as she entered the Student Council Room.

Tatsuya and Miyuki packed their half-eaten bento and made their way to the guest room immediately. Tatsuya seemed to already have expected their visitor from the get-go but it took Miyuki a while before it dawned upon her. They might be meeting a member of the Yotsuba.

"Hayama-san, let us get down to business." Seeing the guest that he had expected, Tatsuya opened the conversation immediately in a business-like tone the moment he closed the door to the guest room.

"Alright then. Tatsuya-san, you have been summoned to the main house. Please come alone the day after tomorrow."

"Acknowledged, if there is nothing else allow us to take our leave."

"Wait, Hayama-san forward my request to Oba-ue to allow me to follow my brother."

"As you wish, Miyuki-sama," Hayama said with a bow before taking his leave.

The conversation lasted for less than a minute but Tatsuya and Miyuki went back to their classes without finishing their lunch. They simply did not have the appetite to after facing a Yotsuba.

'Did Saegusa Koichi deliberately spread the word? Does he know my real identities? How is planning to manipulate me? What is his goal?' Those questions flooded Tatsuya's mind throughout the rest of the lessons. After school, he headed to the library's reading booth to indulge himself with the knowledge it held.

"Ara, Tatsuya-kun what are you doing here?" Mayumi asked when she saw Tatsuya open the door to the reading room.

"I am planning to feast on the database of knowledge that I am privileged to have access to," Tatsuya replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The already sage-like Tatsuya-kun is intending to get even smarter? "

"I wouldn't think of myself as 'sage-like', although I must admit that I am better than most in theory. What about you Senpai? Are you perhaps preparing for the upcoming university entrance examination?"

"What else do you think I am doing? Although this reading room is not meant for two, I don't mind you joining me unless all you want to do is to stand at the door."

Tatsuya nodded and headed into the reading room. Mayumi waited until Tatsuya closed the door and before starting to move to the side to allow Tatsuya to operate the terminal. She deliberately tripped over herself and allowed Tatsuya to catch her by the hip and shoulder.

"Ah thank you Tatsuya-kun," Mayumi said as Tatsuya quickly let go of her. She proceeded to stare intently at Tatsuya while he was operating the terminal.

"What is it, Senpai?"

"N-Nothing Tatsuya-kun, just that I err… I noticed that your face has nice proportions." Mayumi said while acting flustered.

"You are not cut out to be an actor Senpai."

"Hmph, even if you could tell that it was an act, at least show some emotions." Mayumi sulked.

"That is not my personality Senpai."

"Or am I just not your type, Tatsuya-kun?"

"What are you talking about Mayumi-senpai?" Taken aback by Mayumi's statement, Tatsuya let out a careless reply. Tatsuya couldn't help but let out a sigh. Tired of being on the receiving end of Mayumi's teasing, he wanted Mayumi to have a taste of her own medicine.

"I'm willing to bet that you have not been able to find someone who can resist your beauty, have you? What makes you think that I am an exception?" Tatsuya suddenly changed his tone to a gentle one and moved closer to Mayumi before gently putting his hands on her shoulders gently. As expected, Mayumi was flustered and blushed uncontrollably, rendering her speechless.

'That was easier than I thought.' Tatsuya thought while secretly smirking.

Meanwhile, Miyuki had finished all the paperwork required faster than expected and left the Students Council room for the library to meet up with his brother. Miyuki headed for the reading booth that his brother was usually in and decided to surprise him brother by sneakily going in the reading booth. "O-nii-sa-ma? What were you doing with Mayumi-senpai?" Shocked by the scene that was unfolding in front of her, she could not control herself. The Snow Queen descended, seeing that her brother was holding Mayumi, who is blushing furiously, by her shoulders.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading this fanfic, I really appreciate it, please do give me feedback. I will continue this if there is good feedback.**


	2. Parasite Arc 2

**A/N: Back with yet another chapter of Predicament! Hope that you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 ***Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI***

* * *

"It is not what you think Miyuki, calm down," Tatsuya said as he quickly released Mayumi.

"E-Exactly Miyuki-chan, it is a misunderstanding." Mayumi stammered.

Miyuki demanded an explanation from Tatsuya in an icy tone.

"Let's leave the explanation until we get home. Senpai I will be taking my leave now." Tatsuya replied without hesitation and dashed out of the reading booth. Miyuki quickly followed her brother.

"Was Tatsuya being sincere?" Mayumi mumbled while seeing them leave. She then collected her feelings and went back to studying.

Pleasing Miyuki was no easy feat, Tatsuya had to add 'shopping with Miyuki' to his already packed schedule and that was only barely enough to please her. Tatsuya was also miraculously able to convince Miyuki to stay home when he left for the Saegusa residence.

"Mayumi-senpai, I hope I didn't make you wait too long," Tatsuya said when he saw Mayumi.

"Tatsuya-kun it is rude to make a girl wait you know, luckily for you onee-chan is not so petty."

Taking care of Miyuki took longer than Tatsuya had expected, he made it to the Saegusa residence in the nick of time.

"That aside, is the new equipment here?" Tatsuya changed the flow of the conversation at once, making Mayumi a little more serious.

"It just arrived this afternoon, I am not sure if the installation is complete. At any rate, let us not stay here, let's go to the CAD maintenance room."

Mayumi led the way to the room. The installation of the equipment was half done, not to mention that programming prior to the first use was still needed. The whole process will take at least one more hour. Instead of idling around the CAD maintenance room, Mayumi had decided to show Tatsuya around her house.

"This shooting range is built specially for you?"

"Yes, whenever you piss me off I will replace the targets with pictures of your face and shoot it. I never miss when it comes down to that." Mayumi replied in a teasing tone.

"I thought my 'onee-chan' is not a ruthless shooter who holds grudges, but instead one with a heart so big she forgives readily."

"Hmph, whether I am the goddess onee-chan or the devilish shooter depends on how you treat me Tatsuya-kun." That was the only reply Mayumi could give as her face turned mildly red.

"I must treat you like royalty from today onwards I suppose. I am at your service, milady"

"I concede, you really have gotten better at teasing me Tatsuya-kun," Mayumi said as she giggled.

"Then do I have the honour of witnessing the legendary Elven sniper's skills?"

"Sure, but only if you stop teasing me."

Mayumi retrieved her rifle shaped specialised CAD and took aim.

A hundred targets flew across the room.

A hundred shots were fired.

A hundred targets broke into two.

Mayumi turned to face Tatsuya and did a curtsy at the end of the show.

"Mayumi-senpai never fails to amaze," Tatsuya said with a smile.

A servant came up to Mayumi and informed her that the CAD maintenance room is ready for use. Mayumi informed Tatsuya and they made their way to the CAD maintenance room. Tatsuya did maintenance on Mayumi and her twin sister's CAD. Although she already had experienced Tatsuya's work first hand, she could not help but be fascinated by Tatsuya's degree of calibration. Her twin sisters who were sceptical of Tatsuya were at a loss for words after they experienced it themselves.

"Tatsuya-kun it is quite late would you like to join us for dinner?" Mayumi suggested.

"I appreciate your offer but Miyuki will be preparing my dinner, I will be taking my leave now," Tatsuya replied.

"Ah, I see then allow me to walk you to the door."

"No need to trouble yourself senpai, please join your family for dinner, I am sure they are waiting for you."

Mayumi hid her disappointment and frustration.

It is always _her_.

It must be _her_.

Why must _he_ always be with _her?_

Mayumi muttered under her breath subconsciously as she walked to the dining room.

Tatsuya rode his bike down an empty street and suddenly screeched to a halt. He stopped a few metres away from the man who stood in the middle of the road. Sensing a strong killing intent from the man, Tatsuya immediately hopped out of his bike. The man used acceleration magic to propel himself towards Tatsuya, throwing his fist forward. 'A specialised CAD in the shape of knuckles?' Tatsuya thought to himself as he skilfully dodged the attack. The man repositioned himself and closed the distance between himself and Tatsuya again. He quickly threw a jab which was quickly followed by a cross left uppercut and a cross. "Snap, Snap, Snap."

[Multiple fractures on both arms.]

[Combat level dropping below optimal conditions]

[Auto Restoration Ability \ Auto Activate]

[Magic Sequence \ Uploading]

[Core · Eidos · Data \ Retrieving from storage]

[Restoration \ Commence — Complete]

'Fortification magic? Looks like guarding against his attacks will not work.' Tatsuya grumbled as he prepared to defend himself against the man's next attack.

The man threw another set of attack at Tatsuya. A jab followed by a right uppercut-left hook then a right-hand punch.

Swift. Precise. Deadly. Those words describe the man's movement. He isn't an amateur, but he isn't skilled and seasoned enough to be called an expert.

The man's execution of the combo would kill anybody by now, especially with his CAD. However, against a close combat expert like Tatsuya, he was nothing but a sitting duck. Tatsuya struck the man's head during the execution of his combo and finished him in one blow. 'A rather predictable combo that can beat down an opponent without much experience. The combo's one deadly flaw makes it a bad choice against an expert.' Tatsuya muttered as he picked up his terminal and called a heavily encrypted phone line.

"Fujibayashi-san, it's me Tatsuya. Sorry to disturb you at this late hour but I need your expertise. Please erase the footage as well as any Psion traces at my area now and send someone to pick up a body…Yes, I will submit a full report as soon as I am home… Yes, thank you." Tatsuya ended the call and put down his terminal before walking to his bike.

He instinctively moved to dodge a magic sequence that was fired at him. He couldn't dodge the attack but he managed to avoid a fatal injury. No magician was in the vicinity other than him, he even doubled checked it with his Elemental Sight, yet magic sequence would appear out of thin air rain down on him. He used Gram Demolition to demolish the magic sequence and dodged whatever he could not. Without any means of fighting back, Tatsuya opted to retreat. He Loop cast Leap and ran from the area, all while dodging and demolishing the enemy magic sequence.

"I am back, Miyuki."

"Onii-sama, were in engaged in combat?"

"Yes, I was attacked by a magician on my way back."

"A magician?" Miyuki gasped.

"Yes, but before I get into the details I need to warn Fujibayashi-san first. I called her to send her men there." Tatsuya replied in a serious tone then turned to his terminal. He punched a number that he had remembered by heart, one that was never used unless there was an emergency.

"Fujibayashi-san please call your men back at once. After the man that attacked me had collapsed, magic was cast out of thin air and it started to attack me. I used my Elemental Sight and it revealed that there were no other magicians in the vicinity and the magic did not originate from the man either."

"Acknowledged" Fijibayashi answered and saluted Tatsuya before ending the call.

"Magic was cast without a magician? How is that even possible?" Miyuki enquired.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea either. I will consult Yakumoto-sensei tomorrow morning."

 **(Scene change)**

"Oh, Tatsuya-kun what brings you here today? I don't recall you having training on a Friday. Is it because of the fight last night?" Yakumoto-sensei said while throwing a punch at Tatsuya.

"You are well informed as always. How far has the news spread?" Tatsuya replied while blocking Yakumoto's punch and positioned himself counterattack with a high kick.

"Not very far, the Saegusa is trying to put the incident under warp," Yokumoto replied he jumped two steps back to avoid Tatsuya's kick.

"After taking down the man that attacked me, magic sequence rained down on me. There were no other magicians in the vicinity and the man didn't cast the magic either. As far as I know, no modern magic is capable of that so does sensei know if it is ancient magic?" Tatsuya stood at a relaxed stance and began making his way to one of the temple's room to continue their conversation after he and Yakumoto finished their 'greeting'.

"Hmm, I have not come across magic that can be pre-programmed to be cast once the magician is dead."

"Does sensei know of any phenomenon that can pull off similar stunts?"

"Tatsuya-kun did you sense any Pushion bodies?"

"I am incapable of sensing Pushion bodies."

"Hmm, then I will not be able to help you, Tatsuya-kun."

"What does this have to do with Pushion bodies sensei?"

"In ancient magic, there is something called Parasites. Parasites are made up of Pushion bodies and take control of a host. If that man was a host for the Parasite and he died, the Parasite will return to its original form, which is a Pushion body. Parasites can cast magic without additional aid, cutting down the number of processes for casting magic. The Parasite might have returned to its original form when you killed the man and tried to attack you to make you into a new host."

"I will keep that in mind sensei."

"The price for that information is an extended sparring session."

After sparring with Yokumoto, Tatsuya returned home and ate the breakfast Miyuki had prepared for him before heading out to school together.

On their way from the station to their school, their usual group, Leo, Erika, Mikihiko, Shizuku and Honoka joined them. They seemed to be unaware of the incident last night. 'The Saegusa is really effective in their work.' Tatsuya thought.

During the lunch break, Tatsuya and Miyuki decided to have lunch in the Student Council room again to have a word with Mayumi.

"TATSUYA-KUN, are you alright?" Mayumi rushed to check on Tatsuya the moment he stepped in.

Bewildered by Mayumi's outburst Tatsuya was at a loss of words.

"Ah sorry," Mayumi said softly, noticing that her outburst had created quite a scene.

"I am alright Senpai, thank you for your concern," Tatsuya said as he recovered from his bewilderment.

"What are the both of you talking about? Did something happen yesterday?" Mari said to break the awkward atmosphere that Mayumi had created.

Tatsuya explained his encounter last night to everyone and Mayumi explained that her family had kept it under wraps so most people will not know.

"Magic was cast without a magician?" Mari inquired.

"Yes, although I do not know how that is possible," Tatsuya replied.

"At any rate let my family take care of this, it is too dangerous." Mayumi made a statement. She was completely serious when she said it and she did not want anyone, especially Tatsuya to be exposed to any more danger. "Also, do not spread this news. Do not even breath a word about it outside of this room."

With that, they finished their lunch and made their way back to their classrooms before the bell signalling the end of lunch break rang.

After school, Tatsuya reported to the Public Moral Committee HQ as per normal to help Mari sought out the paperwork.

Mari looked around, making sure that there was nobody else in the Public Moral Committee HQ before lowering her voice and turning her chair to face Tatsuya. "Tatsuya, this might be a little sudden but honestly what do you think about Mayumi. Not as a Student Council Senpai, nor as the daughter of the Saegusa Clan, but as a woman."

"That is indeed very sudden Mari-senpai." Tatsuya stopped work and turned to face Mari before continuing.

"Mayumi-senpai is a very playful, cheerful and exquisite young lady, but the most I can feel for her is that of normal friends. I am unable to experience strong emotions, so I wouldn't be able to love."

"Unable to experience strong emotions?"

"Yes, it is due to a magic accident that affected my brain. I am unable to love or hate, neither can I feel euphoric or sorrow. You could say that my threshold for emotions is extremely low. The only emotion that is left unaffected is my love for my sister"

"I see, that's why the both of you are so close."

"However, when I am with Mayumi-senpai, I do feel a little different. I do feel happy when I spend time with her, although I am not sure if that is considered love." Tatsuya sincerely felt this way. Last night at the shooting range, he felt happy. For the first time in his life, he felt happy being around someone other than Miyuki.

"I see, so Mayumi has a chance after all."

"Mari-senpai, are you going to report to Senpai or are you going to ask Senpai the same question you asked me?"

"If you are afraid that Mayumi asked me to do this, why did you answer my questions anyway."

"You would probably make me spill the beans using one of your truth serum anyways," Tatsuya said while pointing to Mari's pocket.

"So, you knew. I did this on my own accord, Mayumi doesn't even have a clue about this. I do intend to keep it a secret until the right moment."

"When will it be the 'right moment'?"

"I guess you will know when the time comes. I will head out for patrol now, finish up your paperwork in the meantime." Mari ended the conversation and walked out of the Public Moral Committee HQ.

"Tatsuya-kun, I just received a message from my father. He requests that you make a report to him personally regarding your encounter yesterday." Mayumi said as she walked down the stairs connecting the Student Council room to the Public Moral Committee

"Personally?"

"Yes, today after school if possible."

"I will head over to your house after I walk Miyuki home."

"That is fine too, would you like to have dinner at my place later?"

"I will pass. I do not want Miyuki to eat alone."

"As your Onee-chan, I am proud that you are such a caring brother. See you later, bye." Mayumi forced that reply out of her throat and tried her hardest to not to show any disappointment and frustration.

 **(Scene change)**

"I know that this is rude, but are you sure that there are no other magicians in the vicinity?" Saegusa Koichi questioned Tatsuya.

"Yes, I have an ability similar to Mayumi-senpai and I could not find any other magicians in the vicinity," Tatsuya responded.

Nakura then walked towards Koichi and reported to him. With a grave look, Koichi turned towards Tatsuya and Mayumi. "It multiple attacks have occurred, each with similar a phenomenal. Mayumi, I would like you to collaborate with the Juumonji family to investigate this matter. Tatsuya-san if you do not mind, help Mayumi too."

"I will have to decline. Without any prior experiences in investigations, I am afraid that I will be more of a burden."

"You have the first-hand experience and the experience has already made you far more resourceful than you have thought. Assist Mayumi in this investigation, Tatsuya-san." Koichi gave no room for Tatsuya to retaliate. Knowing he has succeeded in forcing Tatsuya to cooperate, he secretly let out a smirk.

"Mayumi, walk Tatsuya-san to the door."

After Mayumi walked Tatsuya to the door, she returned to the study where her father was.

"Father, I can understand collaborating with the Juumonji family to investigate this case, but why Tatsuya-kun?"

"As I have said earlier, Tatsuya-san has experienced it first-hand, it is invaluable information. His combat skills, particular his countermagic will also cover you in combat."

"We already got all the information we need out from him and Juumonji-kun's Phalanx will be more than sufficient to cover me in combat. What is the true reason you put him in this investigation with me?"

'She has grown sharper.' Koichi thought. He couldn't possibly reveal that he was suspicious of Tatsuya's identity and wanted to observe Tatsuya through this investigation, so he needed to come up with an excuse.

"My daughter, it is about time, you are at that age. Since he has proven that his abilities are on par with the 10MC members, I do not mind him joining our family although he is not even part of the Hundreds family."

"Me? I'm afraid that you are mistaken. "

"You need to stop denying your feelings, I have already given you approval so go ahead. Your father might have one fake eye, but I can certainly see well enough to know that you love him."

'Don't blush, not in front of Father, Mayumi control yourself.' She fought her feelings and quickly dismissed herself from the study.

After Mayumi left, Nakura reported to Koichi.

"His father's business name is Shiibara Tatsurou, the vice-president of the FLT? Are you sure? How could such information not be known since the very first day?" Koichi questioned

"That is because his father's stated business name is faked. Most people who investigate his father will derive at the conclusion that his father is the owner of a café. Only by using my connections with people from Under could I have discovered that his father's real business name is Shiibara Tatsurou."

"So, Tatsuya's connection with the FLT is more than just a mere beta tester?"

"Although not confirmed, it is highly possible."

"Good work, you are dismissed."

Meanwhile, Mayumi ran back to her room before letting her emotions run loose. 'Me? In love with him? Is that even possible?' Mayumi thought as her face turned completely red. 'I should consult Mari shouldn't I, after all, she has more experience than me in this matter.'

It is a Saturday but school was still in session. After half a day of school, Mayumi dragged Mari to the school rooftop.

"What is it Mayumi? Are you revealing some top secret?"

"Mari, how do you know when you love somebody."

"Ehh, Mayumi has love problems?"

"Mari, please answer the question."

"Is it Tatsuya-kun?"

"Mari!"

"You are near perfect in every other thing except relationships huh? It is as clear as day, you absolutely love Tatsuya, I am sure it is not just me who has realised it. Think about it, aren't you happy when Tatsuya spends time with you and unhappy when he leaves you for other women."

"That… is true," Mayumi said as she recalled her being frustrated when Tatsuya declined to have dinner with her because he wanted to be with Miyuki.

"However, Mayumi you have to know something about Tatsuya. Due to an accident, there is something wrong with Tatsuya's emotions."

"What? Elaborate please."

"The only saving grace is that he enjoys being around you. That is about all I can say if you want to know more approach Tatsuya yourself." Mari redirected Mayumi's plea to Tatsuya and walked off.

"Mari, wait! How do you even get this information?"

"As I have said, ask Tatsuya."

'But how?' Was what Mayumi wanted to ask, but she figured that Mari would probably not tell her. 'If I want to ask him while he is alone, the only time for that will be when he comes to my house to maintain CAD.'

 **(Scene change)**

"Good evening, Oba-ue."

"Good evening, Miyuki and Tatsuya." The Queen of the Night was sitting on her couch, enjoying her cup of tea.

"Oba-ue, did Hayama-san forward my request to you?"

"Of course, but my answer is no, Tatsuya is to come alone."

"But–"

Tatsuya put a hand on Miyuki's shoulder, stopping her from rebutting.

"Understood, I will go alone," Tatsuya said in a tone as if challenging Maya.

"You catch on fast as always Tatsuya-san, see you tomorrow then." Maya ended the call with that.

"What did Oba-ue mean by that? Onii-sama what will Oba-ue do to you?"

"Miyuki, I will go to the main house alone tomorrow and I will tell you whatever that happens in the main house when I come back to you," Tatsuya said in a deadly serious tone.

"But—"

"Please Miyuki."

"Come back to me unscathed, promise me that."

"I promise that I will come back unscathed," Tatsuya replied and retreated back to his room. It was unusual for Tatsuya to call it a day so early, but he needed all the rest he could get to prepare for tomorrow.

Tatsuya rode his bike to the main residence. It was a non-existent place on the map. From the outside, the main house looked like an abandoned village, a place that nobody will visit. Tatsuya entered through the hidden front entrance and was led to the study where Maya was already waiting.

"Isn't is your first visit back to the main house without Miyuki my dear nephew?"

"I believe it is also one of the few times we had a conversation alone."

"Have a seat, let us talk over some tea." Maya signalled for Hayama to prepare tea for two and waited until tea was served before continuing the conversation.

"You can start by explaining yourself," Maya stated.

"Saegusa-san has taken interest in me after witnessing my abilities in the 9SC and Yokohama incident. He most likely suspects that there is more than meets the eye regarding my identity and wants me to work under him so he can observe and uncover my identities." Keeping in mind the rivalry between the Yotsuba and Saegusa clan, Tatsuya made sure to use '-san' instead of '-sama' when mentioning Koichi

"How far has he gotten?"

"I am not sure, but I doubt he will be able to get as far as to uncover my identity as Silver or Ooguro Ryuuya."

"What else did he tell you to do?"

"Investigate the rogue magician incident along with the Juumonji family and his daughter."

"I heard that you are the first to have encountered one of the rogue magicians, is that true?"

"Yes, I believe my case was the first reported one."

"Is the phenomenal true?"

"Yes"

"What is Yakumoto-san's take on this matter?"

"He suspects that it is a Parasite."

"I believe he is correct. Tatsuya, when you investigate this matter, show them your true strength. You do not need to worry about it potentially revealing your identities, just show the world your true strength, make sure that they tremble in fear. If it comes to the point where you need to reveal your connections with the Yotsuba, feel free to do so." Maya said with a smirk.

"Why do you want me to do that?"

"No questions, just do as I command you to."

"Your orders are not absolute."

In an instant, the roof turned into a night sky with stars that illuminated the room. It was a bewitching sight. In the next instance, the orbs disappeared and the room returned to normal.

"Do what you are told to when asked nicely. There are other methods of making you do what I want you to do. I am sure you will not like it when it comes down to her."

"You want to introduce me and Miyuki to the world as a Yotsuba in the flashiest way possible?"

"No, do not reveal anything unless you need to. What I want you to do is to simply not hold back."

"Within two weeks, get rid of the Parasites."

"You seem annoyed by them, Oba-ue."

"So much that I am willing to risk revealing the secrets of the Yotsuba."

"I will give you a progress report at the end of the first week," Tatsuya said as he rose and bowed to Maya before leaving. 'Who could have dared to piss Oba-ue?' Tatsuya really pitied those who dared to disturb Maya, more often than not it ends up in a massacre.

 **A/N: Back with yet another chapter of Predicament! Hope that you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

"It is not what you think Miyuki, calm down," Tatsuya said as he quickly released Mayumi.

"E-Exactly Miyuki-chan, it is a misunderstanding." Mayumi stammered.

Miyuki demanded an explanation from Tatsuya in an icy tone.

"Let's leave the explanation until we get home. Senpai I will be taking my leave now." Tatsuya replied without hesitation and dashed out of the reading booth. Miyuki quickly followed her brother.

"Was Tatsuya being sincere?" Mayumi mumbled while seeing them leave. She then collected her feelings and went back to studying.

Pleasing Miyuki was no easy feat, Tatsuya had to add 'shopping with Miyuki' to his already packed schedule and that was only barely enough to please her. Tatsuya was also miraculously able to convince Miyuki to stay home when he left for the Saegusa residence.

"Mayumi-senpai, I hope I didn't make you wait too long," Tatsuya said when he saw Mayumi.

"Tatsuya-kun it is rude to make a girl wait you know, luckily for you onee-chan is not so petty."

Taking care of Miyuki took longer than Tatsuya had expected, he made it to the Saegusa residence in the nick of time.

"That aside, is the new equipment here?" Tatsuya changed the flow of the conversation at once, making Mayumi a little more serious.

"It just arrived this afternoon, I am not sure if the installation is complete. At any rate, let us not stay here, let's go to the CAD maintenance room."

Mayumi led the way to the room. The installation of the equipment was half done, not to mention that programming prior to the first use was still needed. The whole process will take at least one more hour. Instead of idling around the CAD maintenance room, Mayumi had decided to show Tatsuya around her house.

"This shooting range is built specially for you?"

"Yes, whenever you piss me off I will replace the targets with pictures of your face and shoot it. I never miss when it comes down to that." Mayumi replied in a teasing tone.

"I thought my 'onee-chan' is not a ruthless shooter who holds grudges, but instead one with a heart so big she forgives readily."

"Hmph, whether I am the goddess onee-chan or the devilish shooter depends on how you treat me Tatsuya-kun." That was the only reply Mayumi could give as her face turned mildly red.

"I must treat you like royalty from today onwards I suppose. I am at your service, milady"

"I concede, you really have gotten better at teasing me Tatsuya-kun," Mayumi said as she giggled.

"Then do I have the honour of witnessing the legendary Elven sniper's skills?"

"Sure, but only if you stop teasing me."

Mayumi retrieved her rifle shaped specialised CAD and took aim.

A hundred targets flew across the room.

A hundred shots were fired.

A hundred targets broke into two.

Mayumi turned to face Tatsuya and did a curtsy at the end of the show.

"Mayumi-senpai never fails to amaze," Tatsuya said with a smile.

A servant came up to Mayumi and informed her that the CAD maintenance room is ready for use. Mayumi informed Tatsuya and they made their way to the CAD maintenance room. Tatsuya did maintenance on Mayumi and her twin sister's CAD. Although she already had experienced Tatsuya's work first hand, she could not help but be fascinated by Tatsuya's degree of calibration. Her twin sisters who were sceptical of Tatsuya were at a loss for words after they experienced it themselves.

"Tatsuya-kun it is quite late would you like to join us for dinner?" Mayumi suggested.

"I appreciate your offer but Miyuki will be preparing my dinner, I will be taking my leave now," Tatsuya replied.

"Ah, I see then allow me to walk you to the door."

"No need to trouble yourself senpai, please join your family for dinner, I am sure they are waiting for you."

Mayumi hid her disappointment and frustration.

It is always _her_.

It must be _her_.

Why must _he_ always be with _her?_

Mayumi muttered under her breath subconsciously as she walked to the dining room.

Tatsuya rode his bike down an empty street and suddenly screeched to a halt. He stopped a few metres away from the man who stood in the middle of the road. Sensing a strong killing intent from the man, Tatsuya immediately hopped out of his bike. The man used acceleration magic to propel himself towards Tatsuya, throwing his fist forward. 'A specialised CAD in the shape of knuckles?' Tatsuya thought to himself as he skilfully dodged the attack. The man repositioned himself and closed the distance between himself and Tatsuya again. He quickly threw a jab which was quickly followed by a cross left uppercut and a cross. "Snap, Snap, Snap."

[Multiple fractures on both arms.]

[Combat level dropping below optimal conditions]

[Auto Restoration Ability \ Auto Activate]

[Magic Sequence \ Uploading]

[Core · Eidos · Data \ Retrieving from storage]

[Restoration \ Commence — Complete]

'Fortification magic? Looks like guarding against his attacks will not work.' Tatsuya grumbled as he prepared to defend himself against the man's next attack.

The man threw another set of attack at Tatsuya. A jab followed by a right uppercut-left hook then a right-hand punch.

Swift. Precise. Deadly. Those words describe the man's movement. He isn't an amateur, but he isn't skilled and seasoned enough to be called an expert.

The man's execution of the combo would kill anybody by now, especially with his CAD. However, against a close combat expert like Tatsuya, he was nothing but a sitting duck. Tatsuya struck the man's head during the execution of his combo and finished him in one blow. 'A rather predictable combo that can beat down an opponent without much experience. The combo's one deadly flaw makes it a bad choice against an expert.' Tatsuya muttered as he picked up his terminal and called a heavily encrypted phone line.

"Fujibayashi-san, it's me Tatsuya. Sorry to disturb you at this late hour but I need your expertise. Please erase the footage as well as any Psion traces at my area now and send someone to pick up a body…Yes, I will submit a full report as soon as I am home… Yes, thank you." Tatsuya ended the call and put down his terminal before walking to his bike.

He instinctively moved to dodge a magic sequence that was fired at him. He couldn't dodge the attack but he managed to avoid a fatal injury. No magician was in the vicinity other than him, he even doubled checked it with his Elemental Sight, yet magic sequence would appear out of thin air rain down on him. He used Gram Demolition to demolish the magic sequence and dodged whatever he could not. Without any means of fighting back, Tatsuya opted to retreat. He Loop cast Leap and ran from the area, all while dodging and demolishing the enemy magic sequence.

"I am back, Miyuki."

"Onii-sama, were in engaged in combat?"

"Yes, I was attacked by a magician on my way back."

"A magician?" Miyuki gasped.

"Yes, but before I get into the details I need to warn Fujibayashi-san first. I called her to send her men there." Tatsuya replied in a serious tone then turned to his terminal. He punched a number that he had remembered by heart, one that was never used unless there was an emergency.

"Fujibayashi-san please call your men back at once. After the man that attacked me had collapsed, magic was cast out of thin air and it started to attack me. I used my Elemental Sight and it revealed that there were no other magicians in the vicinity and the magic did not originate from the man either."

"Acknowledged" Fijibayashi answered and saluted Tatsuya before ending the call.

"Magic was cast without a magician? How is that even possible?" Miyuki enquired.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea either. I will consult Yakumoto-sensei tomorrow morning."

 **(Scene change)**

"Oh, Tatsuya-kun what brings you here today? I don't recall you having training on a Friday. Is it because of the fight last night?" Yakumoto-sensei said while throwing a punch at Tatsuya.

"You are well informed as always. How far has the news spread?" Tatsuya replied while blocking Yakumoto's punch and positioned himself counterattack with a high kick.

"Not very far, the Saegusa is trying to put the incident under warp," Yokumoto replied he jumped two steps back to avoid Tatsuya's kick.

"After taking down the man that attacked me, magic sequence rained down on me. There were no other magicians in the vicinity and the man didn't cast the magic either. As far as I know, no modern magic is capable of that so does sensei know if it is ancient magic?" Tatsuya stood at a relaxed stance and began making his way to one of the temple's room to continue their conversation after he and Yakumoto finished their 'greeting'.

"Hmm, I have not come across magic that can be pre-programmed to be cast once the magician is dead."

"Does sensei know of any phenomenon that can pull off similar stunts?"

"Tatsuya-kun did you sense any Pushion bodies?"

"I am incapable of sensing Pushion bodies."

"Hmm, then I will not be able to help you, Tatsuya-kun."

"What does this have to do with Pushion bodies sensei?"

"In ancient magic, there is something called Parasites. Parasites are made up of Pushion bodies and take control of a host. If that man was a host for the Parasite and he died, the Parasite will return to its original form, which is a Pushion body. Parasites can cast magic without additional aid, cutting down the number of processes for casting magic. The Parasite might have returned to its original form when you killed the man and tried to attack you to make you into a new host."

"I will keep that in mind sensei."

"The price for that information is an extended sparring session."

After sparring with Yokumoto, Tatsuya returned home and ate the breakfast Miyuki had prepared for him before heading out to school together.

On their way from the station to their school, their usual group, Leo, Erika, Mikihiko, Shizuku and Honoka joined them. They seemed to be unaware of the incident last night. 'The Saegusa is really effective in their work.' Tatsuya thought.

During the lunch break, Tatsuya and Miyuki decided to have lunch in the Student Council room again to have a word with Mayumi.

"TATSUYA-KUN, are you alright?" Mayumi rushed to check on Tatsuya the moment he stepped in.

Bewildered by Mayumi's outburst Tatsuya was at a loss of words.

"Ah sorry," Mayumi said softly, noticing that her outburst had created quite a scene.

"I am alright Senpai, thank you for your concern," Tatsuya said as he recovered from his bewilderment.

"What are the both of you talking about? Did something happen yesterday?" Mari said to break the awkward atmosphere that Mayumi had created.

Tatsuya explained his encounter last night to everyone and Mayumi explained that her family had kept it under wraps so most people will not know.

"Magic was cast without a magician?" Mari inquired.

"Yes, although I do not know how that is possible," Tatsuya replied.

"At any rate let my family take care of this, it is too dangerous." Mayumi made a statement. She was completely serious when she said it and she did not want anyone, especially Tatsuya to be exposed to any more danger. "Also, do not spread this news. Do not even breath a word about it outside of this room."

With that, they finished their lunch and made their way back to their classrooms before the bell signalling the end of lunch break rang.

After school, Tatsuya reported to the Public Moral Committee HQ as per normal to help Mari sought out the paperwork.

Mari looked around, making sure that there was nobody else in the Public Moral Committee HQ before lowering her voice and turning her chair to face Tatsuya. "Tatsuya, this might be a little sudden but honestly what do you think about Mayumi. Not as a Student Council Senpai, nor as the daughter of the Saegusa Clan, but as a woman."

"That is indeed very sudden Mari-senpai." Tatsuya stopped work and turned to face Mari before continuing.

"Mayumi-senpai is a very playful, cheerful and exquisite young lady, but the most I can feel for her is that of normal friends. I am unable to experience strong emotions, so I wouldn't be able to love."

"Unable to experience strong emotions?"

"Yes, it is due to a magic accident that affected my brain. I am unable to love or hate, neither can I feel euphoric or sorrow. You could say that my threshold for emotions is extremely low. The only emotion that is left unaffected is my love for my sister"

"I see, that's why the both of you are so close."

"However, when I am with Mayumi-senpai, I do feel a little different. I do feel happy when I spend time with her, although I am not sure if that is considered love." Tatsuya sincerely felt this way. Last night at the shooting range, he felt happy. For the first time in his life, he felt happy being around someone other than Miyuki.

"I see, so Mayumi has a chance after all."

"Mari-senpai, are you going to report to Senpai or are you going to ask Senpai the same question you asked me?"

"If you are afraid that Mayumi asked me to do this, why did you answer my questions anyway."

"You would probably make me spill the beans using one of your truth serum anyways," Tatsuya said while pointing to Mari's pocket.

"So, you knew. I did this on my own accord, Mayumi doesn't even have a clue about this. I do intend to keep it a secret until the right moment."

"When will it be the 'right moment'?"

"I guess you will know when the time comes. I will head out for patrol now, finish up your paperwork in the meantime." Mari ended the conversation and walked out of the Public Moral Committee HQ.

"Tatsuya-kun, I just received a message from my father. He requests that you make a report to him personally regarding your encounter yesterday." Mayumi said as she walked down the stairs connecting the Student Council room to the Public Moral Committee

"Personally?"

"Yes, today after school if possible."

"I will head over to your house after I walk Miyuki home."

"That is fine too, would you like to have dinner at my place later?"

"I will pass. I do not want Miyuki to eat alone."

"As your Onee-chan, I am proud that you are such a caring brother. See you later, bye." Mayumi forced that reply out of her throat and tried her hardest to not to show any disappointment and frustration.

 **(Scene change)**

"I know that this is rude, but are you sure that there are no other magicians in the vicinity?" Saegusa Koichi questioned Tatsuya.

"Yes, I have an ability similar to Mayumi-senpai and I could not find any other magicians in the vicinity," Tatsuya responded.

Nakura then walked towards Koichi and reported to him. With a grave look, Koichi turned towards Tatsuya and Mayumi. "It multiple attacks have occurred, each with similar a phenomenal. Mayumi, I would like you to collaborate with the Juumonji family to investigate this matter. Tatsuya-san if you do not mind, help Mayumi too."

"I will have to decline. Without any prior experiences in investigations, I am afraid that I will be more of a burden."

"You have the first-hand experience and the experience has already made you far more resourceful than you have thought. Assist Mayumi in this investigation, Tatsuya-san." Koichi gave no room for Tatsuya to retaliate. Knowing he has succeeded in forcing Tatsuya to cooperate, he secretly let out a smirk.

"Mayumi, walk Tatsuya-san to the door."

After Mayumi walked Tatsuya to the door, she returned to the study where her father was.

"Father, I can understand collaborating with the Juumonji family to investigate this case, but why Tatsuya-kun?"

"As I have said earlier, Tatsuya-san has experienced it first-hand, it is invaluable information. His combat skills, particular his countermagic will also cover you in combat."

"We already got all the information we need out from him and Juumonji-kun's Phalanx will be more than sufficient to cover me in combat. What is the true reason you put him in this investigation with me?"

'She has grown sharper.' Koichi thought. He couldn't possibly reveal that he was suspicious of Tatsuya's identity and wanted to observe Tatsuya through this investigation, so he needed to come up with an excuse.

"My daughter, it is about time, you are at that age. Since he has proven that his abilities are on par with the 10MC members, I do not mind him joining our family although he is not even part of the Hundreds family."

"Me? I'm afraid that you are mistaken. "

"You need to stop denying your feelings, I have already given you approval so go ahead. Your father might have one fake eye, but I can certainly see well enough to know that you love him."

'Don't blush, not in front of Father, Mayumi control yourself.' She fought her feelings and quickly dismissed herself from the study.

After Mayumi left, Nakura reported to Koichi.

"His father's business name is Shiibara Tatsurou, the vice-president of the FLT? Are you sure? How could such information not be known since the very first day?" Koichi questioned

"That is because his father's stated business name is faked. Most people who investigate his father will derive at the conclusion that his father is the owner of a café. Only by using my connections with people from Under could I have discovered that his father's real business name is Shiibara Tatsurou."

"So, Tatsuya's connection with the FLT is more than just a mere beta tester?"

"Although not confirmed, it is highly possible."

"Good work, you are dismissed."

Meanwhile, Mayumi ran back to her room before letting her emotions run loose. 'Me? In love with him? Is that even possible?' Mayumi thought as her face turned completely red. 'I should consult Mari shouldn't I, after all, she has more experience than me in this matter.'

It is a Saturday but school was still in session. After half a day of school, Mayumi dragged Mari to the school rooftop.

"What is it Mayumi? Are you revealing some top secret?"

"Mari, how do you know when you love somebody."

"Ehh, Mayumi has love problems?"

"Mari, please answer the question."

"Is it Tatsuya-kun?"

"Mari!"

"You are near perfect in every other thing except relationships huh? It is as clear as day, you absolutely love Tatsuya, I am sure it is not just me who has realised it. Think about it, aren't you happy when Tatsuya spends time with you and unhappy when he leaves you for other women."

"That… is true," Mayumi said as she recalled her being frustrated when Tatsuya declined to have dinner with her because he wanted to be with Miyuki.

"However, Mayumi you have to know something about Tatsuya. Due to an accident, there is something wrong with Tatsuya's emotions."

"What? Elaborate please."

"The only saving grace is that he enjoys being around you. That is about all I can say if you want to know more approach Tatsuya yourself." Mari redirected Mayumi's plea to Tatsuya and walked off.

"Mari, wait! How do you even get this information?"

"As I have said, ask Tatsuya."

'But how?' Was what Mayumi wanted to ask, but she figured that Mari would probably not tell her. 'If I want to ask him while he is alone, the only time for that will be when he comes to my house to maintain CAD.'

 **(Scene change)**

"Good evening, Oba-ue."

"Good evening, Miyuki and Tatsuya." The Queen of the Night was sitting on her couch, enjoying her cup of tea.

"Oba-ue, did Hayama-san forward my request to you?"

"Of course, but my answer is no, Tatsuya is to come alone."

"But–"

Tatsuya put a hand on Miyuki's shoulder, stopping her from rebutting.

"Understood, I will go alone," Tatsuya said in a tone as if challenging Maya.

"You catch on fast as always Tatsuya-san, see you tomorrow then." Maya ended the call with that.

"What did Oba-ue mean by that? Onii-sama what will Oba-ue do to you?"

"Miyuki, I will go to the main house alone tomorrow and I will tell you whatever that happens in the main house when I come back to you," Tatsuya said in a deadly serious tone.

"But—"

"Please Miyuki."

"Come back to me unscathed, promise me that."

"I promise that I will come back unscathed," Tatsuya replied and retreated back to his room. It was unusual for Tatsuya to call it a day so early, but he needed all the rest he could get to prepare for tomorrow.

Tatsuya rode his bike to the main residence. It was a non-existent place on the map. From the outside, the main house looked like an abandoned village, a place that nobody will visit. Tatsuya entered through the hidden front entrance and was led to the study where Maya was already waiting.

"Isn't is your first visit back to the main house without Miyuki my dear nephew?"

"I believe it is also one of the few times we had a conversation alone."

"Have a seat, let us talk over some tea." Maya signalled for Hayama to prepare tea for two and waited until tea was served before continuing the conversation.

"You can start by explaining yourself," Maya stated.

"Saegusa-san has taken interest in me after witnessing my abilities in the 9SC and Yokohama incident. He most likely suspects that there is more than meets the eye regarding my identity and wants me to work under him so he can observe and uncover my identities." Keeping in mind the rivalry between the Yotsuba and Saegusa clan, Tatsuya made sure to use '-san' instead of '-sama' when mentioning Koichi

"How far has he gotten?"

"I am not sure, but I doubt he will be able to get as far as to uncover my identity as Silver or Ooguro Ryuuya."

"What else did he tell you to do?"

"Investigate the rogue magician incident along with the Juumonji family and his daughter."

"I heard that you are the first to have encountered one of the rogue magicians, is that true?"

"Yes, I believe my case was the first reported one."

"Is the phenomenal true?"

"Yes"

"What is Yakumoto-san's take on this matter?"

"He suspects that it is a Parasite."

"I believe he is correct. Tatsuya, when you investigate this matter, show them your true strength. You do not need to worry about it potentially revealing your identities, just show the world your true strength, make sure that they tremble in fear. If it comes to the point where you need to reveal your connections with the Yotsuba, feel free to do so." Maya said with a smirk.

"Why do you want me to do that?"

"No questions, just do as I command you to."

"Your orders are not absolute."

In an instant, the roof turned into a night sky with stars that illuminated the room. It was a bewitching sight. In the next instance, the orbs disappeared and the room returned to normal.

"Do what you are told to when asked nicely. There are other methods of making you do what I want you to do. I am sure you will not like it when it comes down to her."

"You want to introduce me and Miyuki to the world as a Yotsuba in the flashiest way possible?"

"No, do not reveal anything unless you need to. What I want you to do is to simply not hold back."

"Within two weeks, get rid of the Parasites."

"You seem annoyed by them, Oba-ue."

"So much that I am willing to risk revealing the secrets of the Yotsuba."

"I will give you a progress report at the end of the first week," Tatsuya said as he rose and bowed to Maya before leaving. 'Who could have dared to piss Oba-ue?' Tatsuya really pitied those who dared to disturb Maya, more often than not it ends up in a massacre.

kill anybody by now, especially with his CAD. However, against a close combat expert like Tatsuya, he was nothing but a sitting duck. Tatsuya struck the man's head during the execution of his combo and finished him in one blow. 'A rather predictable combo that can beat down an opponent without much experience. The combo's one deadly flaw makes it a bad choice against an expert.' Tatsuya muttered as he picked up his terminal and called a heavily encrypted phone line.

"Fujibayashi-san, it's me Tatsuya. Sorry to disturb you at this late hour but I need your expertise. Please erase the footage as well as any Psion traces at my area now and send someone to pick up a body…Yes, I will submit a full report as soon as I am home… Yes, thank you." Tatsuya ended the call and put down his terminal before walking to his bike.

He instinctively moved to dodge a magic sequence that was fired at him. He couldn't dodge the attack but he managed to avoid a fatal injury. No magician was in the vicinity other than him, he even doubled checked it with his Elemental Sight, yet magic sequence would appear out of thin air rain down on him. He used Gram Demolition to demolish the magic sequence and dodged whatever he could not. Without any means of fighting back, Tatsuya opted to retreat. He Loop cast Leap and ran from the area, all while dodging and demolishing the enemy magic sequence.

"I am back, Miyuki."

"Onii-sama, were in engaged in combat?"

"Yes, I was attacked by a magician on my way back."

"A magician?" Miyuki gasped.

"Yes, but before I get into the details I need to warn Fujibayashi-san first. I called her to send her men there." Tatsuya replied in a serious tone then turned to his terminal. He punched a number that he had remembered by heart, one that was never used unless there was an emergency.

"Fujibayashi-san please call your men back at once. After the man that attacked me had collapsed, magic was cast out of thin air and it started to attack me. I used my Elemental Sight and it revealed that there were no other magicians in the vicinity and the magic did not originate from the man either."

"Acknowledged" Fijibayashi answered and saluted Tatsuya before ending the call.

"Magic was cast without a magician? How is that even possible?" Miyuki enquired.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea either. I will consult Yakumoto-sensei tomorrow morning."

 **(Scene change)**

"Oh, Tatsuya-kun what brings you here today? I don't recall you having training on a Friday. Is it because of the fight last night?" Yakumoto-sensei said while throwing a punch at Tatsuya.

"You are well informed as always. How far has the news spread?" Tatsuya replied while blocking Yakumoto's punch and positioned himself counterattack with a high kick.

"Not very far, the Saegusa is trying to put the incident under warp," Yokumoto replied he jumped two steps back to avoid Tatsuya's kick.

"After taking down the man that attacked me, magic sequence rained down on me. There were no other magicians in the vicinity and the man didn't cast the magic either. As far as I know, no modern magic is capable of that so does sensei know if it is ancient magic?" Tatsuya stood at a relaxed stance and began making his way to one of the temple's room to continue their conversation after he and Yakumoto finished their 'greeting'.

"Hmm, I have not come across magic that can be pre-programmed to be cast once the magician is dead."

"Does sensei know of any phenomenon that can pull off similar stunts?"

"Tatsuya-kun did you sense any Pushion bodies?"

"I am incapable of sensing Pushion bodies."

"Hmm, then I will not be able to help you, Tatsuya-kun."

"What does this have to do with Pushion bodies sensei?"

"In ancient magic, there is something called Parasites. Parasites are made up of Pushion bodies and take control of a host. If that man was a host for the Parasite and he died, the Parasite will return to its original form, which is a Pushion body. Parasites can cast magic without additional aid, cutting down the number of processes for casting magic. The Parasite might have returned to its original form when you killed the man and tried to attack you to make you into a new host."

"I will keep that in mind sensei."

"The price for that information is an extended sparring session."

After sparring with Yokumoto, Tatsuya returned home and ate the breakfast Miyuki had prepared for him before heading out to school together.

On their way from the station to their school, their usual group, Leo, Erika, Mikihiko, Shizuku and Honoka joined them. They seemed to be unaware of the incident last night. 'The Saegusa is really effective in their work.' Tatsuya thought.

During the lunch break, Tatsuya and Miyuki decided to have lunch in the Student Council room again to have a word with Mayumi.

"TATSUYA-KUN, are you alright?" Mayumi rushed to check on Tatsuya the moment he stepped in.

Bewildered by Mayumi's outburst Tatsuya was at a loss of words.

"Ah sorry," Mayumi said softly, noticing that her outburst had created quite a scene.

"I am alright Senpai, thank you for your concern," Tatsuya said as he recovered from his bewilderment.

"What are the both of you talking about? Did something happen yesterday?" Mari said to break the awkward atmosphere that Mayumi had created.

Tatsuya explained his encounter last night to everyone and Mayumi explained that her family had kept it under wraps so most people will not know.

"Magic was cast without a magician?" Mari inquired.

"Yes, although I do not know how that is possible," Tatsuya replied.

"At any rate let my family take care of this, it is too dangerous." Mayumi made a statement. She was completely serious when she said it and she did not want anyone, especially Tatsuya to be exposed to any more danger. "Also, do not spread this news. Do not even breath a word about it outside of this room."

With that, they finished their lunch and made their way back to their classrooms before the bell signalling the end of lunch break rang.

After school, Tatsuya reported to the Public Moral Committee HQ as per normal to help Mari sought out the paperwork.

Mari looked around, making sure that there was nobody else in the Public Moral Committee HQ before lowering her voice and turning her chair to face Tatsuya. "Tatsuya, this might be a little sudden but honestly what do you think about Mayumi. Not as a Student Council Senpai, nor as the daughter of the Saegusa Clan, but as a woman."

"That is indeed very sudden Mari-senpai." Tatsuya stopped work and turned to face Mari before continuing.

"Mayumi-senpai is a very playful, cheerful and exquisite young lady, but the most I can feel for her is that of normal friends. I am unable to experience strong emotions, so I wouldn't be able to love."

"Unable to experience strong emotions?"

"Yes, it is due to a magic accident that affected my brain. I am unable to love or hate, neither can I feel euphoric or sorrow. You could say that my threshold for emotions is extremely low. The only emotion that is left unaffected is my love for my sister"

"I see, that's why the both of you are so close."

"However, when I am with Mayumi-senpai, I do feel a little different. I do feel happy when I spend time with her, although I am not sure if that is considered love." Tatsuya sincerely felt this way. Last night at the shooting range, he felt happy. For the first time in his life, he felt happy being around someone other than Miyuki.

"I see, so Mayumi has a chance after all."

"Mari-senpai, are you going to report to Senpai or are you going to ask Senpai the same question you asked me?"

"If you are afraid that Mayumi asked me to do this, why did you answer my questions anyway."

"You would probably make me spill the beans using one of your truth serum anyways," Tatsuya said while pointing to Mari's pocket.

"So, you knew. I did this on my own accord, Mayumi doesn't even have a clue about this. I do intend to keep it a secret until the right moment."

"When will it be the 'right moment'?"

"I guess you will know when the time comes. I will head out for patrol now, finish up your paperwork in the meantime." Mari ended the conversation and walked out of the Public Moral Committee HQ.

"Tatsuya-kun, I just received a message from my father. He requests that you make a report to him personally regarding your encounter yesterday." Mayumi said as she walked down the stairs connecting the Student Council room to the Public Moral Committee

"Personally?"

"Yes, today after school if possible."

"I will head over to your house after I walk Miyuki home."

"That is fine too, would you like to have dinner at my place later?"

"I will pass. I do not want Miyuki to eat alone."

"As your Onee-chan, I am proud that you are such a caring brother. See you later, bye." Mayumi forced that reply out of her throat and tried her hardest to not to show any disappointment and frustration.

 **(Scene change)**

"I know that this is rude, but are you sure that there are no other magicians in the vicinity?" Saegusa Koichi questioned Tatsuya.

"Yes, I have an ability similar to Mayumi-senpai and I could not find any other magicians in the vicinity," Tatsuya responded.

Nakura then walked towards Koichi and reported to him. With a grave look, Koichi turned towards Tatsuya and Mayumi. "It multiple attacks have occurred, each with similar a phenomenal. Mayumi, I would like you to collaborate with the Juumonji family to investigate this matter. Tatsuya-san if you do not mind, help Mayumi too."

"I will have to decline. Without any prior experiences in investigations, I am afraid that I will be more of a burden."

"You have the first-hand experience and the experience has already made you far more resourceful than you have thought. Assist Mayumi in this investigation, Tatsuya-san." Koichi gave no room for Tatsuya to retaliate. Knowing he has succeeded in forcing Tatsuya to cooperate, he secretly let out a smirk.

"Mayumi, walk Tatsuya-san to the door."

After Mayumi walked Tatsuya to the door, she returned to the study where her father was.

"Father, I can understand collaborating with the Juumonji family to investigate this case, but why Tatsuya-kun?"

"As I have said earlier, Tatsuya-san has experienced it first-hand, it is invaluable information. His combat skills, particular his countermagic will also cover you in combat."

"We already got all the information we need out from him and Juumonji-kun's Phalanx will be more than sufficient to cover me in combat. What is the true reason you put him in this investigation with me?"

'She has grown sharper.' Koichi thought. He couldn't possibly reveal that he was suspicious of Tatsuya's identity and wanted to observe Tatsuya through this investigation, so he needed to come up with an excuse.

"My daughter, it is about time, you are at that age. Since he has proven that his abilities are on par with the 10MC members, I do not mind him joining our family although he is not even part of the Hundreds family."

"Me? I'm afraid that you are mistaken. "

"You need to stop denying your feelings, I have already given you approval so go ahead. Your father might have one fake eye, but I can certainly see well enough to know that you love him."

'Don't blush, not in front of Father, Mayumi control yourself.' She fought her feelings and quickly dismissed herself from the study.

After Mayumi left, Nakura reported to Koichi.

"His father's business name is Shiibara Tatsurou, the vice-president of the FLT? Are you sure? How could such information not be known since the very first day?" Koichi questioned

"That is because his father's stated business name is faked. Most people who investigate his father will derive at the conclusion that his father is the owner of a café. Only by using my connections with people from Under could I have discovered that his father's real business name is Shiibara Tatsurou."

"So, Tatsuya's connection with the FLT is more than just a mere beta tester?"

"Although not confirmed, it is highly possible."

"Good work, you are dismissed."

Meanwhile, Mayumi ran back to her room before letting her emotions run loose. 'Me? In love with him? Is that even possible?' Mayumi thought as her face turned completely red. 'I should consult Mari shouldn't I, after all, she has more experience than me in this matter.'

It is a Saturday but school was still in session. After half a day of school, Mayumi dragged Mari to the school rooftop.

"What is it Mayumi? Are you revealing some top secret?"

"Mari, how do you know when you love somebody."

"Ehh, Mayumi has love problems?"

"Mari, please answer the question."

"Is it Tatsuya-kun?"

"Mari!"

"You are near perfect in every other thing except relationships huh? It is as clear as day, you absolutely love Tatsuya, I am sure it is not just me who has realised it. Think about it, aren't you happy when Tatsuya spends time with you and unhappy when he leaves you for other women."

"That… is true," Mayumi said as she recalled her being frustrated when Tatsuya declined to have dinner with her because he wanted to be with Miyuki.

"However, Mayumi you have to know something about Tatsuya. Due to an accident, there is something wrong with Tatsuya's emotions."

"What? Elaborate please."

"The only saving grace is that he enjoys being around you. That is about all I can say if you want to know more approach Tatsuya yourself." Mari redirected Mayumi's plea to Tatsuya and walked off.

"Mari, wait! How do you even get this information?"

"As I have said, ask Tatsuya."

'But how?' Was what Mayumi wanted to ask, but she figured that Mari would probably not tell her. 'If I want to ask him while he is alone, the only time for that will be when he comes to my house to maintain CAD.'

 **(Scene change)**

"Good evening, Oba-ue."

"Good evening, Miyuki and Tatsuya." The Queen of the Night was sitting on her couch, enjoying her cup of tea.

"Oba-ue, did Hayama-san forward my request to you?"

"Of course, but my answer is no, Tatsuya is to come alone."

"But–"

Tatsuya put a hand on Miyuki's shoulder, stopping her from rebutting.

"Understood, I will go alone," Tatsuya said in a tone as if challenging Maya.

"You catch on fast as always Tatsuya-san, see you tomorrow then." Maya ended the call with that.

"What did Oba-ue mean by that? Onii-sama what will Oba-ue do to you?"

"Miyuki, I will go to the main house alone tomorrow and I will tell you whatever that happens in the main house when I come back to you," Tatsuya said in a deadly serious tone.

"But—"

"Please Miyuki."

"Come back to me unscathed, promise me that."

"I promise that I will come back unscathed," Tatsuya replied and retreated back to his room. It was unusual for Tatsuya to call it a day so early, but he needed all the rest he could get to prepare for tomorrow.

Tatsuya rode his bike to the main residence. It was a non-existent place on the map. From the outside, the main house looked like an abandoned village, a place that nobody will visit. Tatsuya entered through the hidden front entrance and was led to the study where Maya was already waiting.

"Isn't is your first visit back to the main house without Miyuki my dear nephew?"

"I believe it is also one of the few times we had a conversation alone."

"Have a seat, let us talk over some tea." Maya signalled for Hayama to prepare tea for two and waited until tea was served before continuing the conversation.

"You can start by explaining yourself," Maya stated.

"Saegusa-san has taken interest in me after witnessing my abilities in the 9SC and Yokohama incident. He most likely suspects that there is more than meets the eye regarding my identity and wants me to work under him so he can observe and uncover my identities." Keeping in mind the rivalry between the Yotsuba and Saegusa clan, Tatsuya made sure to use '-san' instead of '-sama' when mentioning Koichi

"How far has he gotten?"

"I am not sure, but I doubt he will be able to get as far as to uncover my identity as Silver or Ooguro Ryuuya."

"What else did he tell you to do?"

"Investigate the rogue magician incident along with the Juumonji family and his daughter."

"I heard that you are the first to have encountered one of the rogue magicians, is that true?"

"Yes, I believe my case was the first reported one."

"Is the phenomenal true?"

"Yes"

"What is Yakumoto-san's take on this matter?"

"He suspects that it is a Parasite."

"I believe he is correct. Tatsuya, when you investigate this matter, show them your true strength. You do not need to worry about it potentially revealing your identities, just show the world your true strength, make sure that they tremble in fear. If it comes to the point where you need to reveal your connections with the Yotsuba, feel free to do so." Maya said with a smirk.

"Why do you want me to do that?"

"No questions, just do as I command you to."

"Your orders are not absolute."

In an instant, the roof turned into a night sky with stars that illuminated the room. It was a bewitching sight. In the next instance, the orbs disappeared and the room returned to normal.

"Do what you are told to when asked nicely. There are other methods of making you do what I want you to do. I am sure you will not like it when it comes down to her."

"You want to introduce me and Miyuki to the world as a Yotsuba in the flashiest way possible?"

"No, do not reveal anything unless you need to. What I want you to do is to simply not hold back."

"Within two weeks, get rid of the Parasites."

"You seem annoyed by them, Oba-ue."

"So much that I am willing to risk revealing the secrets of the Yotsuba."

"I will give you a progress report at the end of the first week," Tatsuya said as he rose and bowed to Maya before leaving. 'Who could have dared to piss Oba-ue?' Tatsuya really pitied those who dared to disturb Maya, more often than not it ends up in a massacre.


	3. Parasite Arc 3

**A/N Hey guys, as you guys may or may not have realised I have recently published a new re-written version of this fanfic. This new reiteration does not involve huge changes to the content, just minor changes to improve the overall fluidity of the story. Hope you guys enjoy it and do support me on other platforms! (Wattpad and AO3, link in profile)**

 ***Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI***

* * *

Tatsuya clenched his fist and in a single swoop connected his fist to the innocent pillar. Cracks ran rampant on the walls as his fist found itself in a crater he had created in the wall. He cursed at himself for being overwhelmed by Maya's empty threat. He had known that Maya would never lift a finger against Miyuki, even if she was the head of the Yotsuba Clan, yet he played right into Maya's hands. Now he had to shoulder the daunting quest of eliminating enemies that not only could not be seen or sensed through his Elemental Sight but also could not be defeated. Letting out a heavy sigh, he restored the pillar with Regrowth and headed home on his black bike.

With a heart anxiously beating, Miyuki had her worries about the safety of her brother spelt all over her face. The instant she saw the familiar black bike his brother rode enter the garage, the weight on her heart dispelled immediately.

"Sorry for causing you to worry," Tatsuya said with a weary smile.

Miyuki was able to read the mood and had realised that things did not go well for Tatsuya at the Yotsuba Main house.

"What happened at the main house?" Miyuki asked cautiously, hoping that she does not step on land mines that will further worsen Tatsuya's mood.

"She wants me to destroy the Parasites within two weeks and to not hold back while I am at it."

"…Not hold back? What about your secret identities? What if there are revealed?"

"Oba-ue told me that there is no need to worry about my identities."

'Why', was what Miyuki wanted to ask Tatsuya, however she restrained herself once she saw how demoralised Tatsuya was. She came to the conclusion that Tatsuya probably did not know the reason too.

"Miyuki, it has been a long day for me I will retire to my room earlier today."

Tatsuya lied on his bed and his mind was preoccupied with finding ways to defeat the Parasites. Tatsuya's head spun for a good hour or so before he conceded and decided to consult Yakumo the next morning instead.

 **(Scene Change)**

As he had decided the previous night, Tatsuya's first destination of the day was the Kyuuchouji Temple. As usual, it took him quite some effort before he was able to enter the temple.

"Sensei, teach me how to defeat the Parasites." Tatsuya requested after being 'greeted'.

"Parasites? Do you mean the ones who supposedly attacked you last time? Have you confirmed that the ones who attacked you are indeed Parasites?"

"Yes, Oba-ue has confirmed that the ones who attacked me are Parasites."

"The Yotsuba clan will be involved in this?"

"It seems likely, Oba-ue is very annoyed with the Parasites. She has personally ordered me to eliminate the Parasites."

"Alright, but even I do not know much about the Parasites. Running into spirits like Parasites are extremely rare cases, not much is known about them."

"Please share with me everything you know about the Parasites, however limited it is."

"Let's see… Parasites are made up of 2 parts. A Pushions core and a layer of Psion surrounding it acting as an armour.

"Surrounded by Psions? I should be able to detect it if it was surrounded by Psions."

"You could not sense it because their form is undetectable by normal senses, meaning that your Elemental Sight completely useless around them."

"How should I go about fighting them then?" Tatsuya knew that he was pushing his luck with his question. Yakumo was not his teacher, so he was not obliged to teach him anything. More often than not, Yakumo declined to teach Tatsuya any techniques whatsoever.

"In theory, it is quite simple. All you have to do is to destroy their Pushion core. However, destroying it can be very challenging, since you would have to first get past their armour and be able to wield magic that is suitable for the destruction of Pushion. Unfortunately, there has been no magic recorded of being able to destroy Pushion, so the only way to defeat them as of now is to seal them." Yakumo was especially generous with his giving of information this time around since he knew the gravity of this issue, but he still stuck to not teaching Tatsuya any techniques to defeat or seal the Parasites.

'Is he trying to tell me that I stand no chance against the Parasites as of now?' Tatsuya thought. Yet before Tatsuya had even the slightest opportunity to churn out another question, Yakumo already had his fist held in front of his chest in a sparring position.

After sparring with Yakumo, Tatsuya went back home to get ready for school. He determined that the best course of action would be to share with Mayumi whatever he knew about the Parasites so that they could work together. After all, he had to eliminate the Parasites within two weeks. Using his terminal, he dropped a message for Mayumi, telling her to meet him with Katsuto during the lunch break at an empty clubroom. All he had to do now was to convince Miyuki not to tag along with him during the lunch break.

"Miyuki, I won't be eating with you and our friends during this lunch break," Tatsuya said as they travelled in a private commuter to school.

"Why?" questioned Miyuki.

"I am going to meet Mayumi-senpai and Juumonji-senpai to discuss the Parasite case."

"Take me along with you," Miyuki said in a demanding tone.

"I do not wish for you to be involved in the investigation. It is too dangerous for you."

"Onii-sama I believe that my abilities are on par with most of the 10MC descendants."

"That is correct, but you cannot put your abilities on display for them or else it will definitely raise suspicions."

"Didn't Oba-ue order you to not hold back? If so, there will be no doubt that you will raise suspicions as well, so why don't you want me to tag along with you?"

"My orders are to not hold back but reveal as little as possible."

"Then I will do so as well," Miyuki said persistently.

"Please do not put me in a tough spot Miyuki. Those are direct orders from Oba-ue, I do not wish to go against her now."

"Are you saying that Oba-ue ordered you to not let me join this investigation?"

"Yes," Tatsuya said decisively. He didn't want to lie to Miyuki but he had no choice with Miyuki being so persistent. 'I'm sorry Miyuki, but it is for your own good. I do not wish for you to be exposed to danger especially when I am incapable of protecting you.' Tatsuya apologised silently in his head.

Miyuki too did not want to go against Maya. After all, Maya is one of the strongest magicians on earth. "Alright, but what do you want me to tell Erika-chan and the others if they ask about you?"

"Tell them that I am busy with Public Moral Committee matters."

The conversation came to a close as Miyuki nodded in acknowledgement and the commuter reached the station. As they alighted, they noticed that Mayumi was waiting for them at the station.

"Good morning, Tatsuya-kun and Miyuki-chan." Mayumi greeted Tatsuya and Miyuki.

"Good morning, Mayumi-senpai" Tatsuya and Miyuki greeted in sync.

"Wow, both of you greeted in such perfect sync. It is impossible for siblings with a _normal relationship_ to do that you know." Mayumi emphasised the words 'normal relationship' in a teasing manner.

"Senpai, I believe that it was pure coincidence, I am sure I have said multiple times that Miyuki and I share a normal sibling relationship, nothing more and nothing less," Tatsuya replied in his usual stoic face.

"Yes, you said it before Mr Stone Face. Anyway, let us walk to school together." Mayumi said.

"Senpai, that nickname…I might not express much emotion but I do not think that I do not deserve befitting of such a nickname." Tatsuya said as they started walking to school.

"Does that nickname not suit your taste? I can always help you think of another nickname if Mr Stone Face doesn't suit your taste." Mayumi teased as she leaned forward towards Tatsuya.

"Senpai, I would prefer to have no nickname, that aside did you receive my message?" Tatsuya suddenly switched the topic to a more serious one, hoping that Mayumi would cut back on her playfulness.

"Yes, I will find an empty clubroom and text you the location of it."

"See you during the lunch break, senpai," Tatsuya said as they split ways to head towards their classroom.

Throughout Tatsuya and Mayumi's conversation, Miyuki had kept quiet and observed Mayumi. 'Mayumi-senpai seems to be a bit different around Onii-sama compared to being with any other people. I wonder if Onii-sama is aware of this.' Miyuki thought.

As soon as the bell that signalled lunchbreak rang, Tatsuya followed the message Mayumi had sent him and moved to the empty clubroom, where Mayumi and Katsuto were already waiting.

"Sorry for the wait, Mayumi-senpai and Juumonji-senpai," Tatsuya said as he arrived.

"No worries, we did not wait for long," Mayumi replied.

"Since we have limited time, allow me to cut to the chase. The culprit behind this phenomenon is none other than Parasites." Tatsuya revealed.

"Parasites? What is that?" Mayumi asked.

"Parasites are made up of Pushion bodies surrounded by Psion that acts as its Armor. However, they often possess magicians and will not reveal its true form unless the host is dead." Tatsuya answered.

"Although we have identified them, the problem still lies in confronting them. Without any means of even detecting them, we will not be able to defeat the Parasites even if we destroy the host." Katsuto said.

"That is the main issue right now but I suggest that we figure it out as we fight," Tatsuya replied.

"What is with the hurry, shouldn't we prepare ourselves by studying and coming up with a strategy against the Parasite first?" Mayumi asked.

Neither Mayumi nor Katsuto knows that Tatsuya has a deadline to meet, but Tatsuya could not tell them either, for it will raise too many questions. He needed an excuse to speed up the investigation without arousing any suspicion, but none came to mind. Without a means of supporting his own stand, he had to follow Mayumi's plan.

The plan that was constructed by Mayumi was fairly simple. Katsuto was to prepare the equipment needed for the first hunt scheduled the night after tomorrow while Mayumi and Tatsuya would dig up any information they could regarding the Parasites. With each of them understanding their role in the preparation phase, they set the next meeting on the afternoon two days later.

"Tatsuya-kun, do you want to research together with me after school at the reading booth?" Mayumi asked Tatsuya as they walked out of the clubroom.

"Together in the reading booth?" Tatsuya asked while raising an eyebrow. The last time both of them shared a reading booth, a huge misunderstanding happened. Since then, Tatsuya had been avoiding the reading booth.

"Yes…But, don't do _that_ to me again." Mayumi said as she blushed mildly.

"It will be a miracle if Miyuki even allows me to enter the reading booth."

"Miyuki is the Vice-president of the Students Council now, she will be busy so she will not be able to check on you…" Mayumi muttered just loud enough for Tatsuya to catch it.

"Senpai, are you suggesting that I lie to Miyuki?" Tatsuya said in a bewildered tone.

"No, just don't tell her that you are going to the reading booth."

"I will not do such a thing behind Miyuki's back, Ms Sly Fox." Tatsuya provoked.

"Hey, it will not be nice if that spreads." Mayumi retorted.

"Get rid of my nickname and I will get rid of yours."

"Pfft, who is the sly fox here?"

"Is it a deal?" Tatsuya pressed on, completely ignoring Mayumi's question.

"Hmpf, you better keep your end of the promise," Mayumi said with a pout.

"Sure, regarding this afternoon I will try my best to convince Miyuki."

"Really? See you there then!" Tatsuya's response got Mayumi extremely excited. She couldn't wait for the opportunity to spend time with Tatsuya again.

"No promises, don't get your hopes too high," Tatsuya said as he parted with Mayumi. 'Will it even be possible to convince Miyuki?' Tatsuya thought while sighing inwardly.

 **(Scene change)**

Tatsuya found Miyuki along the corridor and told her about his plans this afternoon minutes before lunch break ended.

"NO! Not with Mayumi-senpai, anyone but Mayumi-senpai!" Miyuki objected vehemently.

"Please Miyuki, last time was a misunderstanding, we are going to research on the Parasites this afternoon." At this point, Tatsuya was practically pleading Miyuki.

"She can do it by herself, you definitely cannot go with her Onii-sama." Miyuki insisted.

This was the first time Tatsuya had witnessed this side of Miyuki and thought that something must be going on. 'Come to think about it, Miyuki is not on the best terms with Mayumi-senpai. Other than greeting her, she didn't talk to Mayumi-senpai at all this morning. Did something happen between both of them?' Tatsuya thought. Regardless, the situation cannot be any worst.

"Did something happen you and Mayumi-senpai?" Tatsuya asked.

"No."

"Then why are you so sensitive whenever Mayumi-senpai is around?"

"Because she is always so close to Onii-sama," Miyuki said while mildly blushing.

"Miyuki, that is the nature of Mayumi-senpai, she just loves to tease people."

"But didn't you realise that she is different around you?"

"What are you trying to say, Miyuki?"

"Mayumi-senpai likes you, Onii-sama."

"I realised it too, so I will keep my distance."

"But I feel uncomfortable with just you and Mayumi-senpai alone, after all, she might be a spy for the Saegusa family."

"I doubt they will make an Ojou-sama a spy. Are you perhaps jealous?" Tatsuya probed.

"N-No! Miyuki is not jealous! If you really want to go with Mayumi-senpai this afternoon, you can go but know that I am stopping you only because I am worried about you and not because I am jealous." Tatsuya's statement caught Miyuki off guard and coloured her cheeks with faint shades of red.

'Miyuki is definitely jealous. Regardless, I have Miyuki's approval now.' Tatsuya thought.

The bell signalling the end of lunch break rang and both Miyuki and Tatsuya returned to their class. Tatsuya sat through the rest of the lessons and breezed through the assignments as usual. He quickly made his way to the reading booth right after lessons ended.

"Tatsuya-kun~, you made it after all," Mayumi said once Tatsuya entered the reading booth.

"I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

"Us Year 3 students have free attendance now so you can say that it is inevitable for me to be here before you, have a seat lets begin."

Tatsuya took a seat and started typing into the terminal. After the conversation ended, an awkward atmosphere engulfed the room with neither of them talking much. Their research was to no avail, so little was known about the Parasites that even searching the school's database yields them no results.

"What a bummer, we wasted an afternoon," Mayumi complained.

"It cannot be helped, encounters with Parasites are really rare to begin with."

"I guess we can only learn the hard way then."

"Yes, I am sure we will learn something through hunting them."

"Tatsuya-kun, since the hunt is the day after tomorrow, could you maintain my CAD tomorrow instead? Also, Juumonji-kun will be having dinner at my house tomorrow to discuss the Parasite case with my father. I think it will be perfect to discuss our strategy tomorrow so we will have more time on the day of the hunt itself."

"Is this your way of inviting me to dinner at your house?" Tatsuya inquired.

"It will be convenient for you anyway since it will be right after you maintain my CAD."

'Miyuki will not be happy about this arrangement, but it does sound reasonable…' After weighing Mayumi's suggestion, Tatsuya took up the offer and left to pick up Miyuki.

Once home, Tatsuya shared his schedule for the next few days with Miyuki and arrived at the expected outcome.

"Must you really spend that much time with her?"

"She is assisting me in the investigation and I have a deadline to meet as well," Tatsuya said defensively.

"Still isn't that way too much time spent with her?" Miyuki protested.

"I have orders from Oba-ue and I want to carry them out as soon as possible so please bear with me."

Using Maya's name is always effective, it made Miyuki immediately backed out of the conversation. Although she has more authority over Tatsuya, she still did not dare to disrupt Tatsuya when he was carrying out Maya's orders. With no other choice, Miyuki could only sigh and give consent.

* * *

 **A/N Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, do follow and fav this fanfic! Thanks for your support!**


	4. Parasite Arc 4

**A/N Back with another chapter of Predicament! I hope that all of you are enjoying the story so far.**

 ***Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI***

* * *

Tatsuya headed for the Saegusa residence the next day after school. He quickly performed CAD maintenance for the Saegusa family and changed some sequence of Mayumi's CAD in light of the hunt that was coming up tomorrow. After finishing his job, he followed Mayumi to a separate dining room to have dinner with her.

"You have a separate dining room?" Tatsuya asked when Mayumi initially told him where they were going to have dinner.

"Yes, it isn't uncommon amongst the upper crust. It is especially useful in situations like this when one dining room is used for a formal meeting."

The alternative dining room was not as grand as the main one. It was smaller and had a simple yet cosy design with a table that could easily fit six people. Unlike the first time Tatsuya came, dinner was a three-course meal instead of a seven-course meal, nevertheless, the food was still top of the line. They finished dinner with time to spare, so Mayumi led Tatsuya into her room instead of waiting in the dining room.

With a click on the door, Mayumi gently locked the door. She had never once felt so suppressive nervous in her room as she walked awkwardly towards Tatsuya.

Right at that moment, Mayumi invited him to her room, Tatsuya sensed that something was up. Now that Mayumi had not only locked the door but also had an awkward gait, Tatsuya started having increasingly foreboding thoughts. He considered many different possibilities, yet he couldn't seem to find one with a positive outcome.

"Tatsuya-kun, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Mayumi started, but her question only fuelled the tense atmosphere brewing in her room.

"It depends on what the question is," Tatsuya answered in a very diplomatic manner, being very cautious with the current situation although he would very much like to refuse.

"Is it true that you lost your emotions?" Mayumi probed curiously and cautiously, trying not to step on any landmines.

"Indeed, did you hear it from Mari-senpai?" Tatsuya replied with a sense of relief that Mayumi had not asked sensitive questions. He did not know what Maya would do to her if she had even the slightest clue regarding his identity.

"Yes, all I know was that you lost it in an accident. I tried to ask for details, but she refused and insisted that I must hear it from you.

"Are you sure you want to know that much about me?" Tatsuya was hesitant to give away too much about himself to Mayumi. She was very capable of uncovering his identities so giving her even the slightest clue can prove to be a big mistake.

"I want to." Mayumi met Tatsuya's gaze when she answered him. Her gaze was filled with resolve and sincerity, unlike any that he had seen from her. Tatsuya met her gaze and acknowledged her resolve and sincerity.

"I am a born-specialised magician with three innate magic, all of which you have witnessed in the Yokohama Incident. As with any other born-specialised magician, these magic dominate my Mental Calculation Area, so I am unable to wield any other type of systematic magic. However, at the age of six, I traded my emotions for an Artificial Mental Calculation Area. Because of that, I am now able to use systematic type magic although I am not very proficient at it."

"But you can sometimes still show emotions."

"I did not lose all my emotions, but you can say that the threshold for my emotions is extremely low. This means that I can feel joy, but I will not be able to experience euphoria."

"Is there a way to restore your feelings?"

"My feelings weren't sealed, so they cannot be released. Neither were they broken, so they cannot be fixed. They were taken away, and I cannot take them back anymore."

"So, you cannot love?"

"I cannot love anyone. The closest thing I can feel to love is brotherly affection since that was the only emotion left untouched."

"I see… Even so, Tatsuya-kun I still…" She could not find her voice to continue. The resolve and determination that Mayumi had gathered seemed to disappear all of a sudden.

"I heard from Mari-senpai. I am sure she has also told you my feelings towards you."

"Yes… but I can never be that special woman in your life, can I?"

"That is unfortunately true," Tatsuya confirmed.

Being a Saegusa and an exceptionally attractive young lady, countless men chased after her over the years. Each and every one of them showered her with gifts, even going as far as treating her like royalty. Yet she never liked a single one of them, all those men were only after her wealth, looks and status, not her true self. If she lost everything, those men would also lose interest in her. That's meaningless love. She wanted was a man that was not after her status, wealth or looks. A man that she can rely on, trust and love from the bottom of her heart. Someone who is willing to stay with her through the highs and lows of life. A man who loves her for who she is, not what she has.

She tried finding her ideal man for years and failed countless times, but just before she resigned to the fate that man suddenly appeared. Now he was sitting right in front of her, he had shown interest in her, yet he cannot love her. In front of Tatsuya, Mayumi tried her hardest to fight her emotions to no avail. Her heart throbbed in sorrow and her eyes became moist. Soon after, tears trickled down her cheeks uncontrollably as she broke down emotionally.

Tatsuya moved towards Mayumi and pulled her into his arms while comforting her. Mayumi buried herself in Tatsuya's chest, allowing herself to cry her heart's content.

"I am sorry," Tatsuya whispered into Mayumi's ears.

"You really are a professional heartbreaker. At least you still enjoy my company, right?" Mayumi asked with her face still buried in Tatsuya's chest.

"I do. You are probably the one who has brought me closest to the feeling 'love'."

Tatsuya allowed Mayumi to be in his arms until she had regained her composure.

"Please keep this as a little secret between us," Mayumi said in a crestfallen tone after she regained control over her emotions and excused herself to wash up to prepare for the discussion with Katsuto later.

A servant soon knocked on the door and informed Mayumi that Katsuto was ready to meet her and Tatsuya. Mayumi put on light makeup to cover up any signs of her crying and went to meet Katsuto with Tatsuya.

Tatsuya, Mayumi and Katsuto engaged in a concise and productive meeting before heading home.

Mayumi walked both Tatsuya and Katsuto out after their discussion and headed to the study. She announced herself before heading in to meet her father.

"How did it turn out with Tatsuya-san?"

Mayumi suddenly turned dejected and answered, "He couldn't love me."

"I see, it must be a first for you, to be rejected that is. But you said 'couldn't love', what do you mean by that?" Koichi asked.

Mayumi repeated what Tatsuya told her vividly from her memory to her father to serve as her explanation.

"Didn't you ask him to clarify?"

"No, but it didn't feel like he was lying."

"Even though he cannot return your love, you still love him, don't you?" Koichi asked Mayumi.

"Yes."

"What do you intend to do then?"

"I…I have not thought that far."

"As your father, let me give you a piece of advice. You must create the opportunity yourself, your father will not be able to help you every time like he did today. But as you continue to court him, do keep in mind that he is the magic engineer of the Saegusa family so be sure to not cause a scandal."

"I will. I thank you for creating this opportunity for me to talk with Tatsuya-kun tonight, if possible I would like to excuse myself now."

Koichi nodded in approval and waited until Mayumi left before summoning Nakura.

"I have never heard of someone who is able to infuse an Artificial Mental Calculation area, go and investigate this," Koichi commanded.

After Nakura acknowledged it, he was dismissed, leaving Koichi alone in his study.

"Infusing an Artificial Mental Calculation area, I have not heard of such a phenomenal, but it should involve Mental Interference magic, especially since he lost his emotions. Since strong Mental Interference magic users are rare, the only ones capable of performing such an operation must be… the Yotsuba!" Koichi exclaimed with a smirk. "But, what is his relationship with the Yotsuba?"

Meanwhile, Mayumi was lying at the exact spot Tatsuya sat earlier. She had never heard of an Artificial Magic Calculation area in her life, neither did she know which version of Tatsuya's story was the real one. But those didn't matter to her now. All that remained were Tatsuya's words that confirmed her status in his eyes. The pain was still lingering. She tried to forget, but it refuses to disappear. She wished that it was a nightmare, but she could not wake up from it. All she could do was lie in her bed and sob.

Tatsuya was lying on his bed too. Anguish swept over him. It wasn't what he was expecting, he shouldn't be feeling such strong emotions. This was the first time he had experienced anguish after he lost his emotions. He had told Mayumi more than he was supposed to and it was bound to cause confusion and raise questions about his past if it were to spread. The worst-case scenario would be Mayumi figuring out that he was actually a Yotsuba.

Both of them lied on their beds, their minds imprisoned by heartache. Neither of them could stop thinking about each other. Whatever they said and did to each other kept replaying like a broken record in their minds. It was an endless nightmare for both of them.

 **(Scene Change)**

As the sun sets, Tatsuya finished his dinner early and did a final check on his CAD before heading out to meet Katsuto and Mayumi. Although he had arrived fairly early, both Mayumi and Katsuto were already waiting for him. Tatsuya met Mayumi's gaze and instantly got the memo. They will put whatever that had happened between them behind them and focus on the task at hand.

"Here is the information for the last seen location of the Parasite," Mayumi told Katsuto who was at the wheel.

The information that Mayumi gave Katsuto led them to the park. They disembarked and immediately sensed Psions coming from within the park. They exchanged looks and swiftly made their way to the source of Psion.

"Two magicians have engaged in combat up ahead," Mayumi said after Multi-scope to confirm it.

"Leo!?" Tatsuya blurted carelessly out after he saw a familiar Eidos up ahead with his Elemental Sight.

Mayumi gave Tatsuya a questioning look before quickly averting her attention back to the battle unfolding in front of her, so quickly that Tatsuya did not even realise it.

As they approached the rogue magician, Tatsuya took out his Silver Horn and fired Gram Demolition, immediately dispelling the rogue magician's magic sequence.

"Tatsuya? Saegusa-senpai and Juumonji-senpai too?" Leo exclaimed.

"Leave the formalities for later," Katsuto said in a commanding tone and fixated his attention on the rogue magician.

With the exception of Leo who did not know Tatsuya's plan, all of them got into their positions.

Mayumi was the one who made the first move and cast Hale Particles on the rogue magician. The rogue magician erected a shield in front of him to defend himself and begun his counterattack by using Air Bullets. This was anticipated by Katsuto who used Phalanx to while Tatsuya concealed himself and closed the distance between himself and the rogue magician. Sneaking behind the rogue magician, Tatsuya lashed out a roundhouse kick, hoping to take the rogue magician down in one strike. Responding with astounding agility, the rogue magician took a step back and dodged it by the width of a hair.

This series of coordinated moves forced the rogue magician to be on the defensive, leaping backwards to gain separation from Tatsuya. However, he did not intend to stay on the defensive for long. From the series of attacks, he figured out that the trio's strength was obviously far greater than most magicians so he decided that it was foolish of him to hold back.

To kick off his counterattack, he used Zone Interference to stop Mayumi and Deceleration Magic to slow Tatsuya down. Tatsuya expected as much and destroyed both magic sequences with Gram Demolition.

This took the rogue magician by surprise but he recovered before Tatsuya could take advantage of it. Deciding to amp it up by several notches to gain the initiative, he repeatedly cast Air Bullets on Mayumi and Katsuto all while simultaneously using Acceleration magic on himself and Deceleration magic on Tatsuya as he closed the distance between the both of them.

The sheer speed of the rogue magician's activation speed made Tatsuya acknowledge the power of the Parasites. It was the fastest that he had ever seen, one that even surpasses the Yotsuba clan's Flash Cast. Using Gram Demolition, he dispelled both the Acceleration and Deceleration magic and lunged himself forward to meet the rogue magician in hand-to-hand combat.

The rogue magician had anticipated Tatsuya's course of action and beat him to his spot. He found himself at Tatsuya's blind spot and was determined to finish off Tatsuya with a series of blows. Unbeknownst to him, Tatsuya was unparalleled in the art of close combat. Even while targeting his blind spot, the rogue magician was unable to deliver a blow pass Tatsuya's impeccable defence.

Initially, they matched blow for blow, but Tatsuya was slowly gaining the upper hand. Not only was Tatsuya defending himself perfectly, he even managed to sneak in several punches.

The rogue magician came to a realisation that he was no match for Tatsuya in a pure hand to hand combat, so he decided to throw some magic into the mix. This time, he used increased the gravitational force acting on Tatsuya while reducing the gravitational force acting on himself, before applying Fortification magic to his fist as he delivered a punch.

Although it all happened in an instant, Tatsuya still managed to analyse the situation. He opted to Leap to gain separation before using Gram Demolition on the Air Bullets that kept Katsuto and Mayumi pinned down.

Suddenly, four 'walls' were erected around the rogue magician and a round of Dry Meteor rained down on the rogue magician. Trapped, the rogue magician erected a shield around him, but it was futile as Tatsuya dispelled it even before it could materialise. The lack of oxygen forced the rogue magician to collapse to his knees. Katsuto used another slab of Phalanx to press the rogue magician down against the floor before walking towards the rogue magician to restrain him with magic-restraint handcuffs.

Without warning, the rogue magician started to wriggle abnormally before exploding. The true form of the Parasite has materialised. Magic sequences appeared out of thin air and targeted all of them relentlessly. Katsuto instinctively erected a shield with Phalanx to protect all of them.

"Self-destruction?" Mayumi said in consternation.

Katsuto fell back to regroup with Mayumi and Tatsuya to evaluate their next move.

"The Parasite must have realised that it was in an unfavourable position so it destroyed the host, but it decided to fight us instead of fleeing. It might try to capture a new host amongst us. Leo, be careful since you will be defenceless against the Parasite's true form." Tatsuya said.

"Basically, you want me to sit out and watch," Leo said grumpily with his arms crossed.

Tatsuya nodded before turning to Katsuto and Mayumi. "Mayumi-senpai please use Hale Particle in the general area of the Parasite, Juumonji-senpai please cover us." Tatsuya requested.

They did exactly as they were told to. Every time a Hale Particle hits the Parasite, a ripple effect can be seen in the air. This allowed Mayumi to narrow down on the Parasite's location and soon its location was pinpointed.

"It is all or nothing," Tatsuya muttered as he gathered a large amount of Psion on his right palm and compressed them into a cannonball shape. Once it was fully charged up, the concentrated cannonball shaped Psion waltzed through the battlefield and engulfed the Parasite with a huge explosion. The dazzling sight was followed by complete silence as all of them waited to see the results. As the light faded, nothing but the remnants of the destroyed pathway greeted them.

"We did it!" Mayumi exclaimed in triumph.

Out of nowhere, all of them were entrapped in a magical field. Even before they could react, the gravitational force increased exponentially, pinning all of them against the ground. A Zone Interference that overpowered Mayumi and Katsuto followed right after. Naturally, Tatsuya was completely unaffected by the Zone Interference and used Gram Dispersion to disassemble the Psion waves. He quickly cast Gram Demolition to destroy the magic sequences responsible for the gravity manipulation and Zone Interference, but he was too late. The Parasite had already finished casting another set of magic sequence.

[Right arm and left leg fracture, Stomach destroyed, Massive Internal bleeding.]

[Combat level dropping below optimal conditions]

[Auto Restoration Ability \ Auto Activate]

[Magic Sequence \ Uploading]

[Core · Eidos · Data \ Retrieving from storage]

[Restoration \ Commence — Complete]

"MAYUMI!" Tatsuya shouted. He was enraged. He cast Regrowth on Mayumi, Katsuto and Leo while dispelling all other magic sequence thrown at him. He turned towards the direction of the Parasite with a strong killing intent lurking around him. The devil that was dormant within Tatsuya awakened. His eyes were devoid of humanity, filled with a blazing desire to kill. He gave off an aura of death, similar to the one a grim reaper possess. He stared down in the direction of the Parasite for a moment before he started to walk towards the Parasite.

Even the Parasite was not invulnerable to fear. It sensed the impending doom falling upon him and frantically threw Air Bullets to impede Tatsuya.

[Replication complete.]

Tatsuya used the concept of Regrowth to replicate the spell and dispelled all of them right after.

This time, it was Tatsuya's turn to go on the offence. He took out Trident and loop cast Air Bullet, the spell he had just copied.

Using the ripples created when the Air bullets struck the Psion armour of the Parasite, Tatsuya grasped the Parasite's exact location. He used self-acceleration magic to approach the Parasite and allowed his fist to fly forward. He enhanced his punch with an oscillation wave typed magic that allowed him to temporarily penetrate the Psion armour of the Parasite.

Once he penetrated the armour, Tatsuya used Psion Transfer to send an overwhelming amount of Psion into the Parasite, causing the Parasite to spasm involuntarily. As the finishing blow, Tatsuya cast Decomposition on the space inside the Parasite's Psion armour before backing away. The void that Tatsuya had created caused air to be sucked in violently, resulting in an implosion.

Mayumi, Katsuto and Leo were all astounded by what had just unfolded. What had just unfolded was too surreal. They were on death's door when Tatsuya had brought them back to life without a single injury that they had sustained previously. As if that wasn't far-fetched, they even saw Tatsuya single-handedly take down the Parasite. But what sent a chill down all of their spines was the look in Tatsuya's eyes. It was the eye of a devil being unleashed.

This time, he was certain that the Parasite was done for. Even if it was miraculously alive, it would never return to bother him again. He calmly returned to Mayumi's side with his demonic eyes long gone, replaced by a pair of worried ones.

As he had expected, Mayumi had not stopped trembling yet. She was still rendered speechless, but at least Tatsuya was sure that she was out of danger's way.

"What all of you witness is a classified national secret, please do keep it secret." This was the most convenient way for Tatsuya to stray away from excessive questions from them, even if it meant that he had to lie.

"We are aware of your circumstance in the military, we will keep it a secret. Anyways, good job Shiba. I will go and retrieve the car." Katsuto was the fastest to recover from the shock and quickly escaped from the scene.

"Yes, I will be going now Tatsuya," Leo said, still quivering.

Only Mayumi and Tatsuya remained at the park now since both Leo and Katsuto left.

"Tatsuya-kun…just now…"

"I guess that is too much for all of you, it is understandable," Tatsuya said, trying his best to hide his dismay.

"No, your outburst of emotion during the fight, how did it happen?"

"Even I do not know how it happened." Tatsuya was not lying when he said so. He truly did not understand how he had experienced such a strong outburst of emotions, similar to the one he had during the Okinawa invasion.

"I see…"

"Can you do me a favour and tell your father that you killed the Parasite if he ever asks you for the details?"

"Sure, but why?"

"I don't want to risk disclosing a classified national secret," Tatsuya said before leaving.

Mayumi nodded in acknowledgement but was confused when Tatsuya left. "Wait, you are not riding Katsuto's car back?"

* * *

 **A/N** **Do leave a comment, follow or favourite if you enjoyed the story. Please do support me on other platforms as well! (Wattpad and AO3, link in profile)**


	5. Parasite Arc 5

**A/N Back with yet another chapter of Predicament. Hope all of you are enjoying the story so far!**

 ***Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI***

* * *

After the battle had concluded, Nakura immediately rushed to report to Koichi, giving a detailed account of everything he had seen.

"So, you caught everything except the most important part of the fight?"

"Forgive my incompetence."

"What about the Artificial Mental Calculation Area I asked you to look into?"

"It is unheard of, even in ancient magic."

"Keep watching that boy and call Mayumi into my Study once she returns, you are dismissed for today," Koichi commanded in an irritated tone.

Nakura bowed before dismissing himself from the Study.

Koichi felt closer to figuring Tatsuya out, even if he did not exactly know in what ways he did. His instincts told him that he was not stuck at square one and he was capable of solving this mystery. It was the first time he was forced to rely so heavily on his intuition. His intuition was screaming since he saw Tatsuya at the 9SC, even more so now when he had started to investigate him. He felt that he had collected one more piece of the puzzle, now not too far off from completing it. He felt that solving mysteries like this from time to time can help to refine his intuition, but he reminded himself restrain himself this time since it might not be worth the risk to dive in waist deep.

 _*Knock Knock*_ Koichi was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts as Mayumi announced her presence.

"Come in, take a seat. I believe that you had just come back from hunting the Parasites."

"Yes father, did you summon me to inquire more about it?"

"That's my daughter, sharp as always. I shall not beat around the bush then since you are tired as well. Tell me how it went today."

Mayumi paid no heed to the compliments and recounted the fight, deliberately excluding the part Tatsuya had told her to keep to herself.

"That is vague but I get the gist of the fight, but can you elaborate more on the last part of the fight?"

"After we recovered from the Parasite's surprise counter-attack, Tatsuya distracted him, creating an opening for me to deliver the final blow." Mayumi delivered the lie she had formulated on her way back home without a hitch.

"I see, good job, you should get some rest now. Do you need professional assistance?"

"That would be appreciated, father," Mayumi said as she bowed and exited the study.

'Since when was Tatsuya-kun such a good fortune teller? Speak of the devil'. Mayumi said in her head when she saw a message. Tatsuya had told Mayumi to meet him and Katsuto in school tomorrow in an empty clubroom again. 'Seriously, do I not deserve a break?' Mayumi grumbled to herself as she made her way back to her room.

 **(Scene Change)**

 _"Our comrade has fallen."_

 _"Yes, he is the first. His opponent must be strong, he was completely obliterated. I am sure all of you felt it, the pain of him departing that is."_

 _"Let us put our strength together and avenge our fallen brother. We shall put a brief hiatus to our mission and hunt down the one responsible."_

 _"It has been decided then, I will inform Mr Zhou then."_

 **(Scene Change)**

"Sorry for the wait, Mayumi-senpai, Juumonji-senpai," Tatsuya said as he entered the clubroom.

"Shiba, I think we should start by explaining what happened after we… died and revived." Katsuto started the conversation.

Tatsuya gave a brief account of what happened but excluded important details that showed his phenomenal battle prowess to avoid suspicion.

"This may be rude, but what magic did you use?" Katsuto asked cautiously.

"…" Tatsuya did not want to get into the specifics, especially the magic he used to shock the Parasite since that magic is a secret magic unique to the Yotsuba.

"Ah, it is fine if you are not comfortable with sharing them, I just thought that it will help the next time we go up against the Parasites. Also, my father said that he will hire an ancient magician to assist us. Ancient magicians should be able to seal the Parasites so we will not have to worry too much." Katsuto quickly retracted his previous statement having seen Tatsuya in visible discomfort.

"My father has found an ancient magician that will help us in our hunt," Mayumi announced, changing the topic slightly much to Tatsuya's relieve.

"That would be of great help. When will the ancient magician be able to join us?" Tatsuya asked.

"He will join us starting today."

"We should start hunting every night starting from tonight then, dragging this out will serve us no good," Tatsuya said.

Both Mayumi and Katsuto gave their consensus and decided to meet at the Saegusa residence instead of Katsuto's, wrapping up their secret meeting.

As soon as the meeting ended, Tatsuya attempted to escape immediately but the exit was blocked by Katsuto who beat Tatsuya to it. Mayumi silently thanked Katsuto and held Tatsuya back. Mayumi locked the door after Katsuto left and sat down, signalling for Tatsuya to do the same. With a sigh, Tatsuya returned to his seat.

"Ara, do you not like to talk to your onee-chan?" Mayumi pouted upon seeing Tatsuya sigh.

"Of course not, but 'Onee-chan' doesn't sound quite right after your confession," Tatsuya said, causing Mayumi to have visible reactions immediately.

"Alright senpai, I assume that you have questions for me."

"W-When did you become a fortune teller?" Mayumi said, still abash and averting Tatsuya's gaze after he teased her.

"You mean how I knew your father was going to ask you about the battle?"

Mayumi nodded in agreement, anticipating an answer.

"Well, isn't it normal for him to be interested, especially since there is little known regarding the Parasites," Tatsuya said like it was common sense.

"No, my father usually does not ask me to report to him right after a mission. He trusts me enough to know that I will not fail my missions. He does not even read my written reports often. Well, you have a sensory magic too right?" Mayumi knew that Tatsuya was hiding something, so she dispelled Tatsuya's lie and pressed on.

"I do, what about it?"

"Did you not feel someone following us for the whole of yesterday?"

"I did, it was your bodyguard so I did not feel the need to inform you."

"How are you so calm about it? He could have seen your classified nation secrets and reported it to my father!"

"If he did, your father would not have to question you. The fact that your father did was probably because Nakura-san did not see it."

"That line of reasoning is logical I guess, but I am sure that my father would have caught onto something, he has a nose for this type of things."

"The fact that he hired me as the magic engineer of the Saegusa family when there are so many other people vying for that job is because he wanted to observe me, have you still not realised it?"

"Then the reason why he wanted you to investigate this case with me is to observe you too?"

"It is not like you to be so clueless, Mayumi-senpai, I thought you will catch on earlier," Tatsuya said with a nod, confirming Mayumi's statement.

"Then you should stop investigating with us immediately, or you might accidentally reveal your identities."

"If I stop now, it will only arouse more suspicion. For now, let me continue investigating with you and I will figure out a way to protect my identity along the way."

"Alright…" Mayumi said, still worried for Tatsuya.

"You know, it is quite amusing that you are so worried on my behalf," Tatsuya said while slightly chuckling.

"OH, I did not know that your threshold for emotions is high enough for you to find things amusing."

"I did not know that too," Tatsuya replied while still chuckling.

"Speaking of your emotional threshold, you exceeded it yesterday by miles yesterday, didn't you?" Mayumi said suddenly in a rather solemn tone.

"Yeah…" Tatsuya's mood changed visibly as he became more serious.

"Do you know the trigger behind it?"

That was the question Tatsuya wanted to avoid most, but he knew that ignoring it now would only cause Mayumi to pester him more. However, he did not know a clear answer to that question too, it was the first time he had felt that way since Miyuki died in Okinawa.

"Honestly, I have no idea too. However, if you speak hypothetically, the reason might be my friends dying in front of me caused me to temporarily exceed my emotional threshold. You can think of it as an 'emotion overload'."

Mayumi giggled uncontrollably as she said in a joking tone, "emotion overload? That is a funny one. "

Tatsuya was not amused by her question at all, it was important for him to find out the trigger behind his emotional outburst. He needs to understand himself and know what he is, a weapon or a human.

 **(Scene Change)**

The moon illuminated the lake as silence engulfed the entire area. All life was deep in slumber. The tranquillity was only broken by two men who discreetly met up beside this secluded lake, where they knew nobody would be around.

"Mr Zhou, it is a pleasure to meet you again."

"The pleasure is mine, what brings you here today, Mr Parasite."

"Please address me as Sanada, it is the name of my host. I have come to inform you that we, the Parasites, will put a brief hiatus on our mission."

"I see, is it perhaps due to your fallen comrade?"

"Indeed, our consensus is that we should avenge our comrade before continuing with the mission."

"There is no need to put a hiatus on the mission since my master and I are also after the same person. Just proceed according to the plan and the culprits will come to you."

"Do you have any information on the culprits then?"

"His name is Shiba Tatsuya, a freshman and member of Public Moral Committee at First High School. He is also the magic engineer for the Saegusa family and is allegedly a beta tester at the FLT, although there have been rumours that his involvement in the FLT is deeper than that. He is accompanied by Juumonji Katsuto and Saegusa Mayumi, two descendants of the 10MC."

"You are well informed, as usual. It is a true pleasure to work alongside you, Mr Zhou. I will take my leave now, please convey my regards to your master." Sanada said as he turned and disappeared into the night.

 **(Scene Change)**

The following evening, as the sun fell into a slumber, Tatsuya, Katsuto, Mayumi and the ancient magician that was hired, Sanada, met up at the Saegusa residence as they have agreed prior to this. They hit the road to begin their hunt. This time, they went to a field plagued with overgrown weed that was tall enough to obstruct their view. The deafening silence of the field was only broken by the chilly night wind that sliced through the field, forcing the weeds to dance, creating a tuneless rustling sound.

Katsuto led the way as he summoned a slab of Phalanx in front of him and pushed it along the ground, clearing all the weed in their way to create a path. As they walked on the path Katsuto created, Tatsuya deliberately wedged himself in between Mayumi and the ancient magician, leaving the ancient magician in the rear.

"There is a magician approximately five hundred metres up ahead." Mayumi broke the silence. Her words amplified the austere atmosphere as each of them heightened their senses in light of the battle ahead.

 _"They have taken the bait, proceed according to plan and move into your positions."_

 _"Roger that."_

"We are being ambushed!" Tatsuya exclaimed in a tone devoid of any semblance of panic.

Multiple magicians came out of hiding and surrounded them within moments, leaving no gaps for a potential escape. Immediately, Sanada and the other magicians began their assault. Sanada turned and created a mist to further dampen their vision before casting a Zone Interference on Tatsuya, Mayumi and Katsuto. Even before it could actualise, Tatsuya had already broken the Zone Interference.

"So, you have finally shown your true colours, Sanada-san, or should I say Mr Parasite."

"You have a sharp eye, I am sure it does not belong to this dimension. Since when did I arouse your suspicions?"

"Since the moment I saw you."

"It seems like you have thoroughly analysed me. You really intrigue us, it is a pity that you will not able to see another sunrise."

In perfect sync, the Parasites begin to close in while bombarding the trio. The bombardment was either blocked by Katsuto or dispelled by Tatsuya, however, the trio was in no position to counterattack. They took defensive steps back until all of them were back to back.

"Crap, there is no gap in their formation, it will be difficult to break through the formation." Mayumi wailed.

Tatsuya double checked their formation with his Elemental Sight and concurred with Mayumi, completely ignoring the profanity in her speech. However, he wasn't about to give up on escaping yet, or rather, he had no other choice but to attempt to escape. There was almost no chance of them winning a fight against the Parasites head on. Not only are they vastly outnumbered, the Parasite's individual strength is on par or even stronger than them.

"There is no gap in their formation, but their formation is only as strong as their weakest link. The physically weakest host amongst all of them is the one at my four o'clock. We _will_ be breaking through their formation." Tatsuya said with confidence, then glared at Katsuto.

"I will give it a go, just follow closely behind me," Katsuto said.

Without uttering another word, Katsuto immediately created a moderate sized Phalanx in front of him. As the Phalanx levitated, Katsuto cast Self-Acceleration magic and propelled himself forward, charging towards the host.

Tatsuya followed closely behind while dispelling all magic sequence while Mayumi lagged behind just by a little as she tried to create a diversion with Dry Meteor.

They caught the Parasite by surprise and successfully tackled the host, breaking through their formation. However, there wasn't any triumph amongst the trio, each of them knew that the battle was far from over. Although their formation was broken, the Parasites still controlled the flow of the battle. They worked in perfect sync, casting Zone Interference, deceleration magic and Air Bullets at the trio without the magic interfering each other. It was a feat to be marvelled at but the circumstances certainly did not allow Tatsuya to do so. Tatsuya knew that he had to turn the tides of the battle as soon as possible or they will not be able to see another sunrise.

"Juumonji-senpai, as a special lieutenant of the 101 Magic-Equipped Battalion, I request you to take Mayumi-senpai and retreat without me."

"Wha—" Mayumi protested but was cut off by Katsuto when he lifted Mayumi up bridal style forcefully.

"We will be awaiting your return, Special Lieutenant." Katsuto nodded at Tatsuya before retreating without him.

Tatsuya nodded in return then turned to face the Parasites alone, not sparing another look at them.

"Is it bravery or idiocy?" Sanada said in a mocking tone.

"I assure you that it will not be the latter," Tatsuya said with a smirk while he raised his right hand, using Mist Dispersion on the weed to create a path. At the end of the path stood Miyuki, holding her CAD, ready for battle.

* * *

 **A/N We are drawing near to the end of this** **Do leave a comment, follow or favourite if you enjoyed the story.** **Please do support me on other platforms as well! (Wattpad and AO3, link in profile)**


	6. Parasite Arc 6

**Back with the last chapter of the first arc, hope you guys will enjoy it.**

 ***Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI***

* * *

Miyuki strode to Tatsuya's side and bestowed upon him a kiss, freeing him of all the restraints that held him back.

Torrents of Psion coruscated around Tatsuya, relentlessly blinding eyes. He was not afraid of showing it off, as it only made him seem more majestic and invincible. He proudly exhibited it until the Parasites were convinced that it was not an illusion before calming the raging Psions down it.

"Miyuki, use Cocytus on them before they self-destruct." Tatsuya requested.

"Yes, onii-sama." Miyuki did not only unlock Tatsuya's full potential, Miyuki too was free from all the shackles since she did not have to dedicate half her magic powers to seal Tatsuya's magic.

Physically, nothing changed. It was their souls that were frozen, with no way to thaw it, unable to die or live. Stuck between the two states, they could only stand still like statues. In a flash, the battle was won.

"How did you find out that I was here?" Tatsuya asked.

"I had Fujibayashi-san help me out."

"The Electron Sorceress? I thought she was on my side, not yours."

"She's neutral."

Tatsuya sighed, he considered himself lucky that Miyuki had come here on her own accord to help him out since the battle would have become rather messy if she did not show up. However, he did not like to expose Miyuki to even the slightest bit of danger, especially when he had no means of defending her.

"Miyuki, I appreciate your help but you shouldn't follow me next time. It is too dangerous, especially since I do not have any means of defeating them."

"That is why you need me, I can help you."

"You can, but I do not want to expose you to danger."

Miyuki twirled around, "not a single scratch, there isn't even a speck of dirt," she said while smiling.

"But—"

"You lied to me." Miyuki's mood suddenly worsened as she cut Tatsuya off.

"You contacted Oba-ue?"

"I wanted to get her permission before heading here, but apparently it was not needed."

Tatsuya lowered his head, unable to match Miyuki's gaze. He felt bad every time he lied to Miyuki and this time wasn't an exception. He felt worst after Miyuki found out, hoping that Miyuki would understand his rationale behind lying to her.

"You are overprotective of me, onii-sama. I am strong, my ability is comparable to any descendant of the 10MC. I might even be stronger than Mayumi-senpai, so why don't you let me join you?"

'Is it true? Am I overprotective of Miyuki?' Tatsuya doubted himself. All he knew was that he had done a good job of keeping Miyuki safe, but never had he thought that he was keeping her too safe.

"Onii-sama?" Miyuki snapped Tatsuya out of his daze. It was rare for her brother to be in a daze, no, this may just be the first time she had seen him in a daze.

"Sorry, let us talk more about this when we are home. For now, I have to do some cleanup."

"We are not done yet. Make sure your weekend is free. Both days, completely free. No excuses, no compromises." Miyuki said as authoritatively as she. She was desperate to get some time alone with him to separate him and Mayumi for a while. She felt that they had been spending way too much time together recently.

Tatsuya really wanted to negotiate with Miyuki to attempt to bring it down to a day. However, his instincts told him otherwise. He would rather leave it at that, he knew that his sister could dish out something worse than that considering her authority over him.

"I will, Miyuki, but you should get going now. It is way past midnight and there is still school tomorrow."

"What about you? Are you not accompanying me home?" Miyuki asked in a light tone, no longer angry from her brother's lie.

"I need to clean this up." Tatsuya reminded Miyuki.

"Let me accompany you," Miyuki said in a firm tone this time around.

"It would be a hassle for you, furthermore a spy from the Saegusa is observing us from a distance. Judging by his position, he wouldn't be able to figure out that it was you. This is the perfect opportunity to leave"

"Why can't the Saegusa know that I am here? What is wrong with that? Don't give me the identity bullshit, you know that we have been given permission to compromise it." Miyuki's sudden outburst was unexpected as she became increasingly frustrated as the conversation went on. The already chilled night was made colder by Miyuki, who was radiating coldness.

'She used a profanity? I guess there is a first time for everything.' Miyuki's attitude took Tatsuya by surprise, so much that it made him give in.

"Alright, you contact Fujibayashi-san to tell her to check for any Psion sensors in the area and delete any records if they are present. I will take care of the bug that is watching us."

Much to Miyuki's delight and to a certain extent, relieve, she was able to convince her brother without using her authority as a member of the Yotsuba clan. While she did not like the feeling of pushing her brother around like this, she felt that she needed to be a part of her brother's work, especially since Mayumi was part of it. She went on to contact Fujibayashi as instructed with a light heart.

Tatsuya located Nakura once more with Elemental Sight and stealthily sneaked behind him, using the overgrown weeds to conceal himself. By the time Nakura had realised Tatsuya's presence, it was too late. Tatsuya used the element of surprise to his advantage and lunged towards Nakura, pinning him down to the ground in one swift swoop.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Tatsuya intentionally feigned ignorance and radiated a killing intent, demanding an answer.

"I guarantee you that I am not your enemy, Tatsuya-san. I am Ojou-sama's bodyguard, Nakura." Nakura lifted his head up to the side, making eye contact with Tatsuya.

"What are you doing here?" Tatsuya asked and slowing released him.

"Ensuring Ojou-sama's safety of course," Nakura said as he got up, dusting the dirt off his suit.

"Why didn't you join us then?" Tatsuya asked while surveying Nakura's position. He was sure that Nakura would not have seen anything noteworthy if he stayed put throughout the entire fight as the position that he was in was densely covered in overgrown weed, making the visibility extremely low.

"Koichi-sama wants to let Ojou-sama fight independently from the Saegusa Clan's henchman to allow her to gain experience faster," Nakura said replied a concealed smirk. He had formulated the lie beforehand in the event that he was spotted, making it easier to lie.

However, it was easily seen through by Tatsuya. Knowing Koichi, he usually would not waste any manpower on guarding Mayumi when she was accompanied by Katsuto, let alone when she was with both Katsuto and Tatsuya.

"I doubt that you would be able to know if Mayumi-senpai needed help if you just stayed here. You would not even be able to spectate our fight." Tatsuya continued to inquire, trying to fish out information from Nakura to determine if he saw anything that compromised his identity.

The only reply Tatsuya got was Nakura's laughter. Nakura knew that he couldn't cover his lies anymore. He was exposed. It was a matter of what Tatsuya would do to him, he knew that he was like an irritating fly compared to Tatsuya in terms of combat ability. He resigned to fate and could only laugh at how pathetic he has become.

From Nakura's response, Tatsuya knew that he saw everything. From him using Mist Dispersal to Miyuki unlocking his full potential. Normally, he would have been required to eliminate him. This time around, he had received permission to compromise his identity, therefore he did not need to kill Nakura, at least not yet.

"Go, go back and report to Koichi. In exchange for letting you go, you owe me a favour."

"A favour?" Nakura played with fire by trying to negotiate with Tatsuya. He knew that this 'favour' he owes would cause him much misery in the future and he would rather not have it.

"You would rather I take your life then?" Tatsuya did not back down, he had a feeling that Nakura would be of great use in the near future.

"Of course not, but wouldn't altering the information be better for you?"

"Definitely not, lying will only get you fired. I need you to be close to Koichi after all."

"He does not trust me as much as you think."

"Maybe, but definitely enough."

Nakura could not come up with a rebuttal. His attempt at negotiating had failed, he was now indebted to Tatsuya. He had momentarily contemplated suicide by assaulting Tatsuya but decided against it. He did not want to depart this world yet, he felt that there was still much left for him. He let out a smirk after contemplating before turning around to leave. It wasn't long before he vanished into the night, gone from Tatsuya's sight.

Tatsuya immediately pulled out his terminal, contacting Mikihiko to assist him, claiming that it was an urgent matter regarding ancient magic. He deliberately added some words of flattery, which proved to be useful since it was the deciding factor for Mikihiko to help him. He then texted Mayumi and Katsuto to have them take their leave first, reassuring to Mayumi that he was alright to silence her protest. He then went back to Miyuki, who already had erased all records of Psion used in the area. Miyuki's mood immediately took a turn for the better when she heard that Tatsuya sent Mayumi back and promised Tatsuya to stay hidden when Mikihiko comes.

Upon receiving Tatsuya's text, Mikihiko called up Erika and rushed to Tatsuya's location as fast as he possibly could, but it still took them a good two hours. Tatsuya had saved them the effort of trekking through the entire overgrown field by carrying all the hosts to the roadside. By the time they arrived, he saw Tatsuya standing beside the road which was littered with lifeless bodies. Mikihiko immediately got to work, sealing the Parasites up with ancient magic. He clearly misinterpreted Tatsuya. Tatsuya had included in his text that there is going to be quite a number of bodies, but he certainly did not expect this many.

"Thanks for coming all the way here in the middle of the night, Mikihiko. Although I do not know why you brought Erika along. I trust that you can do the clean-up with Erika, I will be taking my leave first." Tatsuya said in his usual stoic tone and straight walked past Mikihiko, giving him a little pat on the shoulders.

"You are leaving us behind? Oi! Tatsuya!" Mikihiko shouted at Tatsuya, but Tatsuya only waved his hand, not even bothering to turn around.

"Jeez, why did I even come here," Mikihiko grumbled to Erika as he saw Tatsuya leave.

"Hmm, you seemed very displeased," Erika said.

"Of course, I am." Mikihiko's reply came instantaneously without much thought.

"Mmhmm, you seemed very displeased to be stuck here with me, don't you?" Erika asked again, this time with killing intent lurking out.

Mikihiko finally realised what Erika was driving at and the extent of trouble he was in. He desperately thought of a way to appease Erika, but he felt that it was too late. The silent Mikihiko only made Erika's killing intent stronger.

"I see, so that is the case," Erika said while cracking her knuckles.

"No, it is not what you think. It's just that Tatsuya gets to leave immediately but we do not." Mikihiko was backing away and breaking out in cold sweat.

"'We'? There is no 'we' here, only you. Bye~." Erika waved as she ran to catch up with Tatsuya.

"Erika, don't leave me alone here in the middle of nowhere! Please come back, we are childhood friends, aren't we suppose to help each other?" Mikihiko wailed but to no avail. Erika only turned back to stick out her tongue, making him feel that much more miserable.

 **(Scene change)**

Tatsuya had just reached home with Miyuki, but he wasted no time as he headed straight for the terminal in his living room. He punched the number to the heavily encrypted line that connects his residence to the main house of the Yotsuba. Moments later, the call went through and Hayama appeared on the screen.

"What is it that made you call us at this hour?" Hayama asked while trying his best to mask his agitation.

"I understand that it is not early and Oba-us is asleep, but please relay the message that I have eliminated most if not all the Parasites as of tonight."

"Understood, I will relay it to Maya-sama first thing in the morning."

"Thank you, now if you will excuse me," Tatsuya said with a slight bow.

"Good night then, Tatsuya-san," Hayama said before ending the call.

Tatsuya had only gotten an hour or so of sleep that night but he managed to wash off all his fatigue with Regrowth. He wanted to make his routine visit to the Kyuuchouji but was abruptly stopped when the terminal at his living room rang. Not wanting Miyuki to wake up just to answer the call, he opted to run late for his morning training and answered the call.

"Good morning, my dear nephew." Maya smiled as she sat in on the armchair with one of her arms casually resting against the armrest. She wore the usual wine red one-piece that brilliantly shows off her mature feminine charms, coupled with a menacing and commanding aura. This sinister beauty makes her truly befitting of the title 'The Demon King of the Far East'.

"Good morning Oba-ue, I believe Hayama-san has relayed my report to you." Tatsuya greeted Maya with a bow.

"Good job, I must say that I am quite surprised that you took out so many in such a short period of time. Enlisting Miyuki's help really did wonders. However, I must say that your job is not done. At this moment, there are no Parasites in Japan. In a few more days, that will no longer be true. You will need to get rid of the root of this problem, or the Parasites will never stop coming."

"Understood, Oba-ue. Do you have any leads for me to start off?"

"I have two suspects in mind. They are Jiedo Heigu and Zhou Gongjin, both of them share the relationship of teacher and disciple, with Jiedo Heigu being the teacher. Their objective seems to be to bring downfall to the Yotsuba and the Parasites are just mere stepping stones."

"Bring downfall to the Yotsuba?"

"Jiedo Heigu is the last survivor of Dahan, apparently he was strong enough to escape. He cannot be underestimated, he might be the biggest threat the Yotsuba has faced since my accident."

Maya had just dropped the bomb. Dahan had a special meaning to all of Yotsuba and had ceased to exist ever since that unfortunate accident. It is inconceivable that there is still a survivor of Dahan since the Yotsuba systematically and meticulously destroyed Dahan, making sure that every last person in Dahan was removed from the face of the earth.

"My, my, this is the first time I ever saw you daze off. Although that is quite a lot to take in, it is still surprising that you can feel bewilderment to the point where you daze off. Jiedo Heigu is not the confirmed culprit, he is just a suspect. However, you are to kill him if you ever cross path with him. I believe you still have your training with Yakumo, I shall not disturb you any further." Maya said as she ended the call.

'Dazing off huh? I guess its twice in the last few hours.' Tatsuya said in his head while looking at his hand, seemingly trying to find something abnormal with them. Recently, he had been experiencing emotions that he otherwise thought he was unable to experience. It was truly an eye-opener, although he still had not quite figured out what each of the emotions he felt were.

* * *

 **A/N And that concludes the first arc of the fanfic! Stay tuned for more and d** **o leave a comment, follow or favourite if you enjoyed the story.**

 **Please do support me on other platforms as well! (Wattpad and AO3, link in profile)**


	7. Yotsuba Crisis Arc 1

Like most Saturdays, First High bustled with students, lessons and club activities were still in session. Tatsuya made his way to the Public Moral Committee, immediately finding himself amidst a pile of paperwork that was irresponsibly dumped onto him by Mari. Of course, Tatsuya finished the pile of paperwork with ease and was about to follow his routine of waiting for Miyuki in the library. Just then, he heard someone knocking on the door. Tatsuya reached for the handle of the door and opened it, surprised to find Mayumi standing on the other end.

"Good morning, what brings you here Mayumi-senpai?" Tatsuya asked.

"Good morning Tatsuya-kun, you are alone?" Mayumi replied.

"Yes, are you looking for Mari-senpai? She left after dumping all her work on me, you should try some of her usual places if you are looking for her. If there is nothing else then please excuse me."

"No no no, I erm… I actually wanted to talk to you. We haven't had a proper conversation since the night you fought the Parasites."

Tatsuya immediately sat down and gestured for Mayumi to do the same, mentally fabricating replies for the possible questions that Mayumi was about to ask him.

"About that night, you still have yet to open up about it but knowing you, it is probably another secret that I am better off not knowing so I will not ask you for any information." Mayumi paused briefly and took a deep breath before continuing, "there have been no sightings of rogue magicians every since that night so we can take it as a successfully completed mission. In light of your contribution, my father has invited you to dinner next week but this time he said that he would appreciate it if you came along."

"Alone?" Tatsuya asked out loud.

"Preferably, yes. I do not know the reason as well and I doubt that father would tell me even if I asked."

"I will try my best to convince Miyuki but you have to promise me one thing as well."

"And what is that promise that I have to keep?" Mayumi asked with piqued curiosity.

"Don't bring me to your bedroom this time, there will not be a lot of heart left if I enter your bedroom again," Tatsuya said in a tone that was hovering between a teasing tone and a serious tone.

"Hey!" Mayumi exclaimed with bright red cheeks, "I don't let just anyone go into my bedroom, in fact, you are the first and probably the last." Her voice trailed off towards the end as she vividly recalled what happened the last time Tatsuya was in her room.

"I am still sorry for last time, but there is little that can be done." Tatsuya immediately apologized when he realized that his mischief had led to undesired consequences.

"Just so you know, I have yet to give up," Mayumi said in her usual cheery tone.

"That aside, is there another agenda that you wish to speak to me? If there is none, I would like to make my way to the library now." Tatsuya said in his normal stoic tone.

"There is actually still one more thing I would like to talk to you about," Mayumi said.

"Speak your mind."

"Are you free tomorrow?" Mayumi asked, her cheeks turning pink again.

"You indeed have yet to give up. As much as I would love to commend your courage by saying 'yes', I am already booked by my sister." Tatsuya let out a soft laugh as Mayumi used the oldest trick in the book to ask him out.

"Onii-sama, I am done with my work for the day," Miyuki called out as she walked up the stairs leading to the Public Moral Headquarters from the Students Council room.

"Speak of the devil," Mayumi muttered under her breath, just soft enough for Tatsuya not to hear.

"Ara, Mayumi-senpai is here too?" Miyuki was unpleasantly surprised when she saw her brother talking to Mayumi.

"That was fast, Miyuki," Tatsuya said upon seeing Miyuki.

"Of course, how can I keep _my_ Onii-sama waiting?" Miyuki intentionally stressed on the word 'my' as she shot a glare at Mayumi who was undoubtedly annoyed although she tried her best to mask it.

Even before Mayumi could say anything, Miyuki walked across the room and grabbed Tatsuya's hand before leaving the room hastily, leaving Mayumi hanging and Tatsuya confused.

"Tch, she keeps getting on my nerves. How dare she so disrespectfully drag Tatsuya-kun away, is she declaring war with me?" Mayumi voiced her frustrations after seeing Miyuki turn the corner leading to the stairs.

While Mayumi was certainly pissed, the opposite was true for Miyuki. In fact, she was so happy at her 'victory' over Mayumi that she was skipping steps.

"Miyuki, did something happen today? You seem ecstatic." Tatsuya asked out of pure curiosity.

'Onii-sama cares about me, how nice. I guess Onii-sama's heart has not wavered in the slightest over the past few days he spent mostly with Mayumi-senpai.' Miyuki unknowingly directed a pair of dreamy eyes and smile at Tatsuya, throwing him into further confusion.

"Miyuki?" Tatsuya said again, this time his words laced with confusion.

"Ah, nothing much happened. It's just that Onii-sama is taking time off his busy schedule to accompany me to go shopping at the new mall, there is nothing more I can ask for." Miyuki's dreamy tone only made Tatsuya even more certain that she was hiding something from him.

'It wasn't like I had a choice, I was forced to free the weekend. Argh, just how much research did I pushback to make this happen?' Tatsuya grimaced silently as he walked together with Miyuki to the shopping mall.

Mayumi, on the other hand, wrecked her head for ideas to spend time with Tatsuya again. Most of the time she spent with Tatsuya was either during missions or interrupted by Miyuki, as such she was not able to spend any romantic moments with him.

Just then, Mari returned to the Public Moral Committee Headquarters to find a depressed Mayumi. Having completely wrecked her brains, Mayumi still could not find a way to get more time alone with Tatsuya. As much as she wanted to stalk Tatsuya and Miyuki, she knew that she would instantly get busted by Tatsuya's sensory-type magic. Not knowing where they will go or what they will do, Mayumi had no way of crashing Miyuki and Tatsuya's little 'date'. She instead turned her attention to Mari, her usual vent.

"Seeing you in this state, it must have something to do with Tatsuya-kun right? Relationship problems are never easy to solve even for you, Mayumi." Mari offered her friend words of consolation but immediately found out that it did not help in the slightest. Determined to not hear Mayumi whine again, Mari headed straight for her desk to retrieve some paperwork, intending to busy herself to discourage Mayumi from using her to unwind. However, it was to no avail as Tatsuya had already finished every paperwork. Mayumi even guilt-tripped her by sinking even deeper into depression. "Alright, you forced my hand. Let's go to the café at the nearby shopping mall, you can whine and cry all you want."

 **(Scene change)**

Futuristic was an understatement for the design of the mall that Miyuki and Tatsuya visited. It was clearly designed to serve the members of the upper crust of society. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling, travellators mapped the mall and exquisite music filled the background. Every store was luxurious and meticulously designed, some even going as far as using exotic gemstone. The mall gave off a lavish ambience that few could afford to experience. Tatsuya and Miyuki were amongst the privileged few, the paycheque that was sent to Tatsuya every week easily reached six figures. The window shopped for the most part, nothing special caught Miyuki's eyes. It wasn't until they walked past a café when Miyuki stopped with her mouth ajar. Mayumi was talking to Mari over coffee but stopped momentarily when she saw Miyuki and Tatsuya.

"Good luck from here on out." Mari gave Mayumi some words of encouragement, signalling for her to go up to Tatsuya.

"Such a _coincidence_ for us to meet again," this time it was Mayumi's turn to get on Miyuki's nerves as she intentionally stressed on the word 'coincidence'. 'Hmpf, take that! Have a taste of your own medicine. Now it is my turn to steal Tatsuya-kun away from you.' Mayumi beamed with pride as she walked up to Tatsuya and Miyuki, forcing herself in between Tatsuya and Miyuki. "Don't stand around, aren't we here to shop?" Mayumi linked arms with Tatsuya and walked to the nearest shop, not giving Miyuki any time to recover from her consternation.

'Argh, why must Mayumi-senpai appear out of nowhere just when things are finally starting to progress.' Miyuki tried her best to hide her frustration but still couldn't control her magic that was spewing out. Not wanting to be left behind, Miyuki quickly ran up to them and clung onto Tatsuya.

Although Tatsuya would prefer not to be caught between the two beauties, he did not seem too bothered by it. At least not until Mayumi decided to play it dirty and placed his hand near her cleavage. This instantly threw Miyuki into a frenzy, uncontrollably spewing torrents of ice-cold magic. Mayumi's triumph over Miyuki was short-lived as her plan backfired. Her actions made Tatsuya divert most of his attention to Miyuki in an attempt to appease her while he readjusted his other hand such that it would be nowhere near her cleavage.

The sparks of rivalry between Miyuki and Mayumi only intensified as each began to be bolder, seemingly challenging each other. Mayumi had been able to take the initiative. She dragged Tatsuya to a boutique before letting go of Tatsuya to browse through some clothes, asking Tatsuya for his opinion and snatching his attention back. Miyuki did not lag behind for long as she quickly picked a dress and rushed to the changing room. Mayumi caught Miyuki slipping off to the changing room with the help of her Multi-Scope and quickly rushed to the changing room.

Coming out of the changing room, Miyuki dawned a one-piece crimson blue A-line dress. She twirled around in an elegant manner in front of Tatsuya, hoping to garner some compliments.

Before Tatsuya could comment, Mayumi busted out of the changing room, dawning a cherry-red lace dress that exquisitely showed off Mayumi's alluring body. She too was looking at Tatsuya intently, anticipating him to compliment her.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Tatsuya couldn't formulate any reply even with his sage-like mind. He simply left his mouth ajar, secretly hoping that he could dig a hole to hide in.

The fashion battle between Mayumi and Miyuki inevitably entranced men and women alike. Crowds formed outside the store, eager to witness the battle between two beauties. Men were jealous of Tatsuya, some even cursing him for being such a lucky brat. Women manifested their eyes to Miyuki and Mayumi, jealous of how each and every curve of theirs is so perfectly proportionate.

"Does this dress not look good on me, Onii-sama?" Miyuki slightly tilted her head when her anticipated reply failed to come.

"Ah, no it really suits you. It looks so good on you I am contemplating to buy a display to put you into." Tatsuya replied with a straight face.

Tatsuya's bizarre reply threw Miyuki into a confusion. On one hand she was jubilant that Tatsuya complimented her, but on the other hand, Tatsuya's compliments were so weird that it bordered being disturbing. Mayumi only stood there and stared at Tatsuya, awed that Tatsuya had such weird taste but later let out a soft laugh, covering it with her hand gracefully to maintain her public image.

"Tatsuya-kun, what about my dress?" Mayumi twirled on the spot, showing off her dress once more before shooting a wink at Tatsuya. This move erupted a commotion among the crowd, unintentionally making jealousy glares directed at Tatsuya intensify.

"The dress perfectly shows off your adolescent figure, it looks brilliant on you." Tatsuya nodded his head as he replied.

The second Tatsuya finished, Miyuki came out of the changing room again. This time she sported a summer dress, inspired by none other than Mayumi when she wore it on the day they were heading off to the 9SC.

Amazed by the speed Miyuki managed to change, both Tatsuya and Mayumi stared at her blankly. It was Tatsuya who broke out of his amazement first and had forced himself to throw in a few words of compliment without Miyuki prompting.

Not wanting to lose, Mayumi hastily changed. This time she tried on a sleeveless pink polka dot wrap-around dress.

The two went back and forth, changing dress after dress until there were almost no dresses left on display. In this neck to neck competition between the two beauties that came down to the wire, it was Mayumi who edged Miyuki out by garnering one more compliment. Only then did they stopped and slowly mulled over which dress they should purchase. Tatsuya, being the gentleman that he is, bought the dresses Miyuki and Mayumi selected as a gift. By the time they stepped out of the boutique, it was already time for dinner.

Miyuki had endured a great deal, the anger that steadily built up within her over the past few hours was about to erupt. Partly because she did not win Mayumi in their fashion showdown, but mainly due to the fact that her senpai ruined her chance to shop with Tatsuya. She thought that it was absolutely time to part with Mayumi-senpai and decided to act on it.

"It is getting late, Onii-sama and I have to get back for dinner. This is where we part ways, Mayumi-senpai. See you around." Surprisingly, Miyuki did not allow any of her anger to show, it took all her years of training and every ounce of her to suppress her anger.

"Let me join you then." Mayumi was as cheery as ever, holding bags of dresses with one hand and clinging on to Tatsuya with the other hand.

Miyuki couldn't take it anymore, Mayumi definitely crossed the line when she clung to Tatsuya. Miyuki was trembling in anger, her face darkened and frost began to form. However, it did not discourage Mayumi at the very least, she blissfully ignored Miyuki as if taunting her.

"You should get going, Mayumi-senpai, I am sure your family is awaiting your return. It is impolite to make your family wait, you really should double back." Tatsuya, sounding just like a parent nagging his child, earned himself a pout from Mayumi.

Just then, a ring came from Mayumi's terminal. Tatsuya judged Mayumi's expression and sent Mayumi a knowing look, implying that he already guessed the contents of the message. It left Mayumi with no choice but to head back home, giving Tatsuya a dejected and longing look. Tatsuya simply waved at Mayumi with his usually stoic face, earning himself yet another pout from Mayumi. He continued to wave and watch Mayumi walk into the blazing sunset, his eyes not leaving Mayumi until her shadows disappeared into the horizon.

It was only then when he realised that the once jubilant Miyuki was now brimmed with annoyance. Miyuki hastily wiped off her annoyance upon realising that her brother's attention was now back on her, trying as far as possible to act normal. Her façade did not last as she was unable to return to her normal self, not lasting long in any of the conversations that Tatsuya struck up. They ate dinner mostly in silence and Miyuki had opted to retire to her room early instead of routinely brewing coffee for Tatsuya.

Miyuki walked into her room lifelessly with barely enough strength to close the door before her legs finally gave way. Her face started to warm and her eyes began to moist as she slid down to the floor, all the while leaning against the closed door. Being the descendant of the Yotsuba clan, she was naturally talented in magic, her skill on par with any 10MC descendants. Yet, she felt so powerless. Mayumi almost stole Tatsuya away right in front of her eyes and she could barely do anything about it. All she could do was hold onto Tatsuya for dear life, hoping that she would not be left behind. For the first time in her life, she was fearful of losing Tatsuya. Unlike Mayumi, she holds full control over Tatsuya, however, she still felt that Tatsuya could abandon her at any given moment.

The courage and determination exemplified by Mayumi took Miyuki by storm. She was sure that Mayumi knows about Tatsuya's emotional status, yet Mayumi did not give up. Instead, she only amped up her efforts to win Tatsuya over. 'Can I match Mayumi-senpai's determination and courage?' Miyuki doubted herself, willing herself to recall a time when she proclaimed Tatsuya as hers. It was to no avail, she quoted their close relationship as a 'normal siblings relationship' unlike Mayumi who was trying to engage in a romantic relationship.

'If given liberty, would Onii-sama leave me?' The dark thought sparked, throwing Miyuki deeper into her thoughts. It only fuelled her feelings of being powerless as she recalled her loss against Mayumi at the boutique earlier that day. She found that her relationship with Tatsuya had hit a brick wall, the relationship will no progress unless the wall is removed.

"What must I do to match Mayumi-senpai?" Miyuki wondered out loud. A million thoughts raced through her mind, yet she was able to grasp onto a singular thought. The thought that stood out the most, almost akin to calling out to her.

"Do I see Onii-sama as a man or brother?" She read her thought out loud, pondering over her own question. She was conflicted, unable to identify the boundaries between both. Yet, amidst her confusion, she suddenly felt tranquillity. She matched a node in her thoughts to the other and came to a realisation. Her heart aches when Tatsuya is with Mayumi, she feels jealous when Tatsuya gives his attention to other girls.

There was no doubt, it wasn't a love shared between siblings, it is one shared between couples. She had realised this a long time ago, yet all the while she cowered behind her excuse of 'normal sibling relationship'. After running away from the reality for so long, she was no longer in prime position to capture Tatsuya's heart. Now there was a contender, one who was strong enough to steal away Tatsuya's attention right beneath her nose. If not for the leash she had on Tatsuya, he may already be gone. She could not allow such an occurrence again, she simply could not imagine life without Tatsuya by her side.

As much as Miyuki wanted to openly declare her love for Tatsuya, she was fearful that her brother will start to despise her. After all, a relationship with a sibling is one that would be scrutinised by the society.

"What in the world must I do…" Miyuki couldn't hold her emotions back anymore. The floodgate that controlled her emotions was forced open, tears trailing down her cheeks. She sobbed silently, forcing herself to chain down her magic lest Tatsuya finds out about it. She would not know how to face her brother in this pathetic state.


	8. Yotsuba Crisis Arc 2

Out in the open field, the wind grazed her skin. She reached out her hands towards the horizon, hoping to stop her brother. 'He is leaving me!' Desperation was wired in her thoughts, she was witnessing her brother leaving her for another woman, something that she will not allow. She will, by any means, stop her brother. A blizzard started around Miyuki and soon a magic sequence appeared in front of Tatsuya. A wall of ice quickly materialized, effectively blocking the path Tatsuya intended to take.

Tatsuya stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Miyuki, this time not with a stoic face but a face filled with hatred. He then drew out Trident and dematerialized the wall. His reaction took Miyuki aback, she never thought her own brother would use magic against her to abandon her. She stood still in muffled silence as tears trickled down her cheeks, watching her brother walk away from her and towards another woman in the shadows with open arms. She closed her eyes, taking in the painful reality. It was too much for her to bear, she went limp and collapsed to the ground.

"Miyuki." A voice called out to her.

"Miyuki?" It called out to her again but she was too shaken to respond. She did not have a reason to live anymore, all she wanted now was to revisit all her memories she shared with Tatsuya.

"Miyuki!" This time the voice was forceful and she was physically shaken by a pair of hands with a firm grip on her shoulders, only then did she reluctantly open her eyes.

Gone was the open field and the horrible sight. Tatsuya held Miyuki by her shoulders worriedly as he wiped tears from her face. Miyuki found herself in her brother's arms on the floor of her bedroom.

"Onii-sama, you are by my side?" Miyuki widened her eyes, using her hands to feel Tatsuya.

"Of course, what are you talking about? I'm always by your side." Tatsuya reassured her with a slight smile.

Miyuki threw herself onto Tatsuya, tackling him onto the floor. She buried herself in Tatsuya's chest and allowed herself to sob.

"It was just a bad dream, Miyuki. You are fine, I am by your side, I will not steer you clear of harm." Tatsuya comforted his sister as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Promise me that you will always be by my side, just as how I will always be by your side no matter the situation." Miyuki was still sobbing in Tatsuya's arm, finding a halcyon in the process.

"I, Shiba Tatsuya, promise you that I will always be by your side no matter the given situation."

Tatsuya's words lifted a huge boulder off Miyuki's chest, now she felt rejuvenated. Suddenly she beaming with bliss, feeling like the happiest person alive. She got off Tatsuya, apologizing for tackling him before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Naturally, her actions threw Tatsuya into puzzlement. He had no idea what was going on with his sister, her mood changes drastically during the past few days. It definitely was not like her at all since this is the first time such a drastic mood swing occurred. "Maybe it is part of puberty," Tatsuya concluded with a hand cupping his chin. "Strange, if it is puberty then it came rather late." He pondered over his presumption as he joined Miyuki in the kitchen.

"By the way, in light of my recent achievements of defeating the Parasites, Koichi-dono has invited me over for dinner." Tatsuya broke the news as Miyuki served him breakfast.

"Sure, tell me the date and I will keep it free." Miyuki restrained her emotions and forced herself to reply as she normally would.

"Well, Koichi-dono has requested your absence from this dinner." Tatsuya took his time to break this request to Miyuki, carefully observing her reaction.

"What? Without me? I am going with Onii-sama no matter what." The mere idea of Tatsuya spending time in the presence of Mayumi infuriated Miyuki.

"Miyuki, calm down for a moment. It is rare for Koichi-dono to make such a request. Perhaps he has something that he wishes to converse with me in private. I am just afraid that he has managed to uncover my identity that was vulnerable during the Parasite hunt."

"All the more I should be by your side, furthermore I just promised you that I will be by your side." Miyuki was becoming more adamant as the conversation went on, not giving Tatsuya even an inch of ground.

"Miyuki, please understand that there are certain things that I must handle by myself, especially when it comes to potentially dangerous situations."

"The last time you were in a dangerous situation, I was the one who helped you." Miyuki brought Tatsuya back to the night of the showdown against the Parasites, quoting an example that seemed like the nail in the coffin.

"Yes, I admit that I failed my mission that night, therefore I will never, ever repeat that same mistake again. This is exactly the reason why I refuse to take you to a potential face-off with one of the strongest magicians in Japan." Tatsuya hung his head low upon the mention of that night, an unprecedented gloom swept over him.

"That was not your fault, quit reproaching yourself and lift your head." Miyuki took this opportunity to cup Tatsuya's chin, lifting his head upright.

"Please understand, Miyuki." Tatsuya pleads, causing Miyuki to give in to his request. While it infuriated her to allow her brother to have a chance to meet Mayumi alone, it pained her to see her brother in his current state.

"Must you really attend the dinner?"

"I must confirm if Koichi-dono has picked up a trail that will expose my identity."

Miyuki let out a sigh, Tatsuya somehow managed to soften her stubborn heart. When it came to the time for her to make a decision, she reluctantly said, "fine I will allow you to go, but you must tell me the whole conversation between you and Koichi-dono."

 **(Scene change)**

"Father, it is me, Mayumi," Mayumi announced herself after she knocked on the door of the study.

"Come in, have a seat," Koichi gestured and waited for Mayumi to be seated before asking," what brings you here, you usually do not take this initiative, not that I mind."

"It is a matter regarding the dinner you have requested with Tatsuya-kun. I just received a message from him confirming that he will be able to make it tomorrow night, alone as you have requested." Mayumi chooses not to beat around the bush and went straight to her point.

"Excellent, I believe that is all you have for me." Excited was an understatement when Koichi heard the news, he even went as far as smirking.

Watching her father only made Mayumi grow anxious for Tatsuya. Her father has a history of being a sly fox, she was worried for Tatsuya, fearing that the man she loves might be exploited by her own father. The smirk on her father's face pushed her trepidation over her threshold, she felt obliged to protect Tatsuya from her father at all cost. "Father, what in the world do you intend to do with him?" Anger was apparent in her tone although she tried her best to tame it.

"How unusual, my daughter is not only interested in my work but also angry at me?" Koichi said in a half-mocking tone, chuckling while he was at it.

"Answer me!" Mayumi was done with her father's jokes, using her voice to set the tone of the conversation.

"Now, now, my daughter I'm sure that is not how you speak to your father, you should know better. What I intend to talk to Tatsuya-kun is none of your business, try not to pry into it."

"It is part of my business, he is my kouhai after all! As his senpai, I'm obliged to ensure his safety, even from you, father." Koichi's reluctance to reveal only served to aggravate Mayumi's anger.

"I can assure you, not only as your father but also as a leader of the Saegusa-clan, that Tatsuya-kun will be safe tomorrow night. I promise to not use any sort of magic or other means to hurt him." Koichi was still as placid as before, not flustered at Mayumi's behaviour.

"Regardless, you still have not answered my question, please tell me what you are going to talk to Tatsuya-kun about."

"Curiosity killed the cat, my beloved daughter. You are dismissed, I have tolerated enough of your imprudent behaviour." Koichi said with a firm tone, making Mayumi realize her imprudence.

"I'm sorry," Mayumi muttered before leaving the study.

Everything was going as Koichi planned, Tatsuya coming alone was just an added bonus. This time he was certain that he would be able to secure all the puzzle pieces, the mere thought made him go into a frenzy of elation. The wine he was savouring suddenly felt tastier and the mood around him immediately got lighter.

 **(Scene change)**

The crimson orange sky soon dissipated, leaving nothing but darkness behind. Tatsuya was standing by the front door of the Saegusa residence once again, this time in formal attire.

True to her image as an Ojou-sama, Mayumi also dawned formal wear and was already awaiting Tatsuya's arrival. She stood by the front door, waiting to receive Tatsuya. The moment she saw Tatsuya, her heart skipped a beat. She went against every single fibre of her body and managed to resist the urge to throw herself against Tatsuya. Discreetly, she took deep breathes to calm herself down.

"You look breathe taking, Mayumi-senpai." It wasn't the first time Tatsuya had seen Mayumi in a formal dress yet he still could not hide his admiration for her beauty.

"I'm glad my dress is to your liking," Mayumi twirled for Tatsuya to take in the full magnitude of her beauty, ending with a little curtsy before returning the compliment, "your suit portrays your build perfectly as well. Shall we head over to the dining room where my father is awaiting your arrival?"

Tatsuya simply nodded in response and followed Mayumi's lead, noting the various security cameras, causing him to keep a constant distance between him and Mayumi. They stopped right in front of the big double doors leading to the dining room where Mayumi, turned to face Tatsuya. "Tatsuya-kun, truth be told I spoke with my father yesterday. He had a hideous smile on his face when I broke the news that you were able to attend this dinner so please be prepared for the worst. I will try my best to mitigate as much damage from you as possible." Mayumi said with a forced smile before turning her attention to the big daunting doors. She took a few deep breathes and found her confidence to face her father before gracefully opening the door.

"Ah, Tatsuya-kun, welcome. I'm glad you could make it alone." Koichi sat at the end of the dining table, still seated when Tatsuya came in.

"Greetings, Koichi-dono." Tatsuya returned the greetings as he pulled a chair for Mayumi.

"Mayumi, you will not be joining us tonight," Koichi said when he noticed Tatsuya's gesture.

His words clearly took both Tatsuya and Mayumi by surprise. Neither of them expected that Koichi would want a private conversation with Tatsuya. Mayumi stared her father in disbelief, not expecting this from her father. Just as she was about to protest, Tatsuya put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look.

"I will be fine, you know that it is impossible for me to die," Tatsuya whispered playfully into Mayumi's ear, making her blush uncontrollably and left her with no choice but to head for the door.

"You seem to have more persuasiveness over my daughter than I do, what a father I am," Koichi said jokingly but Tatsuya did not bother to humour Koichi. "Tonight will be a private dinner between the both of us, I would much appreciate if the conversations from this dinner remain within this dining room, it to the benefit of both of us." Koichi's words weighed down on Tatsuya, insinuating that a sensitive topic would be brought up that night.

Koichi snapped his fingers and servants streamed out from side doors to serve dinner. As per every formal meal at the Saegusa residence, a seven-course meal prepared by the top chefs was served.

"Come, before the food gets cold allow us to savour it." Koichi gestured for Tatsuya to dig in.

Both ate in silence with Koichi savouring his food to the fullest extent while Tatsuya tried to anticipate the upcoming topics. It wasn't until Koichi put down his spoon before they spoke of a word.

"To what pleasure do I owe you this dinner?" Tatsuya began as soon as Koichi put down his spoon.

"There is no need to be so formal, Tatsuya-kun, after all, we meet every week. Fear nothing, there is a good reason as to why I requested a dinner absent of both my daughter and your sister. It has come to my attention that my daughter has become fond of you and as a father, I would like to know where your heart stands."

Tatsuya stared at Koichi blankly in complete disarray. Koichi had thrown a curveball at Tatsuya, he had never in his wildest dreams thought that Koichi would be talking about his relationship with Mayumi. Nevertheless, he felt compelled to give his honest answer.

"Ah, you certainly did not expect this, did you? Considering the mood I set when you stepped in, it is quite understandable. It is alright to speak your mind, I will respect whichever decision you make regarding your relationships." Koichi butted in before Tatsuya could even give his reply.

"Well, I must say that I am honoured to receive the attention of your daughter. However, my feelings aside, I am not sure if I am a suitable partner for her since I am from a lowly family that is not even within the Hundreds family. I am afraid that I can provide no competition towards the other suitors Mayumi-senpai has."

"Your social status is not a concern since you are recognized for your talents in CAD Engineering, you need not fret over it. Furthermore, she has not taken interest in a single suitor she has met. Her relationship with Katsuto is colleague-based and she has no interest in Itsuwa Hirfofumi-kun, she only has her eyes set on you."

Whilst Tatsuya himself had to admit that Mayumi was a special person to him but he knew that he was incapable of loving no matter how hard he tried. "I am unable to love, Mayumi-senpai might be a significant person in my life but it will never be in a romantic way."

"So, what I heard from Mayumi was indeed true, you lost your ability to experience strong emotions when you were young. Would you enlighten me regarding this special incident."

"I lost my ability to experience strong emotions after I, unfortunately, met with a magic-related accident."

"That accident of yours must have been magic that involved strong mental interference magic then."

"I was too young back then to notice what exactly happened, especially when it all happened in a flash. I would appreciate it if we leave it at that, it is not an experience I like to bring up." Tatsuya did not like where the conversation was going since the end destination of this conversation would be the Yotsuba clan.

"That is understandable, although I doubt you will be able to feel much sorrow. Having said that, I will respect you and not progress further with that conversation, so let us get back to the main point. I organized this dinner today solely to confirm your feelings with my daughter, if you need further confirmation then I would encourage you to date, my daughter, since that is the best way of finding out your true feelings for her."

"That…" Tatsuya trailed off after his first word as confusion struck his mind. It was exactly as Koichi said, he needed further confirmation, however, he was certain that his sister would vehemently object this relationship.

"I shall not push you if you are unable to make a decision now but I will need one soon. You cannot keep my daughter waiting for too long, she needs to find her partner soon."

"Thank you, I shall take my leave now, Koichi-dono." Tatsuya left the room as fast as he could with his mind still spinning. He opened the double doors, just to bump into Mayumi who was anxiously waiting for Tatsuya.

"Tatsuya-kun, what happened in there?" Mayumi's tone was plagued with vexation and worriedness as she was kept out of the dinner.

'Surely, she did not eavesdrop on us or her expression will show signs of her lying, after all, she does not pass as an actor.' Although Tatsuya had been in confusion, he was very sure that Mayumi did not eavesdrop. "Nothing much, we didn't talk about anything too serious." Tatsuya lied, keeping in mind to not divulge on anything from the dinner as he promised.

"Knowing my father, he will definitely not invite you over for dinner if he did not want to talk about anything too serious." Mayumi saw straight through Tatsuya and dead-panned his reply.

"Alright, I really can't lie to you, can I? We talked about my job, that's all." Tatsuya put both his hands up in the air while he lied in a smooth tone.

"That's all?" Mayumi raised an eyebrow, still suspicious of Tatsuya.

"Are you perhaps insinuating that my job is not important?" Tatsuya intentionally sounded more reproachful.

"Of course not, your job is important to my whole family," Mayumi said defensively after being wrongfully accused by Tatsuya.

"I should head home now, Miyuki would not like it if I go back home too late."

"She should not be waiting for you to start dinner, why don't you stay for a while longer?" Just the mentioning of Miyuki's name irritated Mayumi making her more determined than ever to make Tatsuya stay by her side.

"She _is_ waiting for me to start dinner." Tatsuya had used his Elemental Sight to check on Miyuki to confirm his suspicion, making him sound unusually confident.

"Does she ever start dinner without you?"

"Nope, not once."

"Then shall I not start lunch every day until you come and find me?"

"Definitely not or you might just starve to death." Tatsuya's stoic tone made him sound serious.

"What a meanie, you would rather let me starve to death than find me during lunch?" Mayumi pouted.

Unexpectedly, Mayumi's response earned her a laugh from Tatsuya, something that was extremely rare.

"It was a joke, Mayumi-senpai. I will not let a lady, especially an Ojou-sama like you, starve."

"It is decided then, starting tomorrow I will not have lunch unless you are by my side," Mayumi said in a teasing tone.

"I concede, please spare this poor soul who cannot escape your clutches when you start teasing." Tatsuya put his hands up as if surrendering to Mayumi.

Both Mayumi and Tatsuya burst into laughter, enjoying their moment together. As much as Mayumi wished that the moment would last forever, the mood quickly changed when Tatsuya attempted to leave yet again, this time firm in his actions. With much persuasion, Mayumi finally walked Tatsuya to the door, staring at him intently until he disappeared into the horizon while riding his bike.

'Dammit, it is always Miyuki who steals Tatsuya away from me. Next time, it will be different, just you wait.' Mayumi gritted her teeth and clenched her fist as she walked to her room.

Unknown to Mayumi, a servant had witness everything leading up to her return to her room. The servant later entered the study, where Koichi was enjoying his cup of tea. To that piece of news, Koichi only smiled as if he expected it to happen. The smile quickly transformed into a smirk as he sank deeper into his thoughts. His plan was in full swing, there is no turning back now.


	9. Yotsuba Crisis Arc 3

Miyuki paced about the room, glancing at the clock from time to trim as she awaited her brother's return. It had barely been five minutes since Tatsuya left the house to attend the dinner at the Saegusa residence and she already felt like dashing out of the house to find her brother. She still felt disgusted over her decision to allow her brother to visit the Saegusa residence and it infuriated her even more since she was certain that Mayumi would be discreetly laughing at her. Her displeasure and anger were forcefully dissipated as her home terminal rang.

"G-Good evening, Oba-ue." Miyuki was taken aback by the person who suddenly called.

"Fufu, good evening Miyuki-chan, you seem to be very surprised." Maya sat on her usual throne-like chair with a hand on the armrest supporting her head.

"Indeed, it is infrequent for Oba-ue to contact us especially on such short intervals. Do you happen to have new orders for my brother?" Miyuki responded with elegance and respect, nothing short of the standard set for being an Ojou.

"You do catch on fast, I do have new orders for Tatsuya. I do not see him by your side, where is he?"

"He is unavailable at this moment, please allow me to convey your message to him."

"No, I want to deliver this message of mine to him personally. Send the order for him to see me now."

"That would prove to be difficult, Oba-ue." Miyuki lowered her head, hoping that Maya would not pry any further although that would probably not be possible.

"And why is that so? My sister has raised you to be an obedient member of the Yotsuba, surely you will not be defiant." With an authoritative tone, Maya backed Miyuki into a corner.

As much as Miyuki wanted Tatsuya to come back immediately by issuing an order, it will definitely not reflect well on Tatsuya in front of an influential person like Koichi. At the same time, Miyuki couldn't tell Maya that her brother went to the Saegusa residence for it will definitely have severe repercussion. In this predicament, Miyuki chose to keep her head low and wait in silence, hoping that the moment will pass.

"It is true then, Tatsuya is visiting the Saegusa residence for the second time this week," Maya said with a smirk, carefully observing the reactions of Miyuki.

"Y-Yes, my brother is heading to the Saegusa residence as we speak." Taken aback by the information Maya had Miyuki's eyes widened in disbelief involuntarily.

"I guess he really is pushing his limits here. I did close an eye when he became the magic engineer for the Saegusa because I could sympathise with his situation, however, he seems to be taking it for granted. Tell me truthfully, is he trying to forge a close relationship with the Saegusa?" Twitches could be seen on Maya's face, she was undoubtedly angry. She locked her gaze on Miyuki, inducing an insurmountable amount of pressure and fear in her.

'I'm sorry, Onii-sama, I have no choice but to betray you.' Miyuki silently apologised before spilling the beans about his increasingly intimate relationship with Mayumi.

"This must be the first time you are not in the centre of Tatsuya's attention then, do you not feel angry?" As genuine as she could, Maya asked Miyuki.

"I..." To that question, Miyuki could only contemplate. As much as she would like to share her heartfelt thoughts, she was afraid of what will happen to her brother now that Maya is involved.

"You do, don't you. Every single time that Saegusa spends time with Tatsuya, you feel angry and unjust. After all, Tatsuya should belong to you and you alone, shouldn't he?" Maya probed Miyuki's feelings, slowing inciting anger within her.

"W-While that is true, I believe in Onii-sama." Miyuki stammered in a soft voice that is barely audible.

"Do yourself a favour and only speak of the truth. Even as we speak, do you not feel the urge to show the Saegusa that Tatsuya belongs to you? Do you not feel angered by Tatsuya over the fact that he chose to eat dinner with a Saegusa rather than you?"

"I…"

"You feel powerless, don't you?" Maya hit the bullseye, striking Miyuki at spots where it was the most vulnerable.

Now that Miyuki had been completely seen through, she was left in an extremely vulnerable state. Painful memories of the day Mayumi crashing her date with Tatsuya resurfaced, all the despair hit her once again in full all at once. At the peak of her despair, the memories of her nightmare from that night haunted her, pushing her despair to new heights. This feeling was exactly what she swore she would never allow herself to feel again, she never wanted to taste it ever again. She was on the brink of having another breakdown, the only thing preventing her from doing so is her will to not show her vulnerable side to Maya.

'Fufu, I did not go too far, did I?' Maya's lips curled up into a sly smirk when she saw Miyuki turning ghostly white. "Such a powerful magician like you can still feel extremely powerless, can't you? Do you not want to recapture Tatsuya's heart?"

"I do!" Miyuki's reply was immediate and filled with determination, there was not a second thought.

Her determination was precisely what Maya was looking for, now she was confident that her plan will work out. "I can empower you to make Tatsuya stay by your side, you will work with your Oba-ue, won't you?"

Presented with this offer, Miyuki felt extremely conflicted. On one hand, she desperately wanted a power to keep Tatsuya by her side but on the other, she did not want to collude with Maya. The impulsive side of her screamed at her to take the offer while the logical side of her forced her to think further into the consequences that will derive from the offer, keeping her mind spinning in circles.

"Can you continue living if Tatsuya is not by your side? The answer is a clear-cut no, you definitely will not be able to live even a day without Tatsuya. That is the reality so why are you still so hesitant in taking up my offer? Do you not have faith in me?" Maya's words struck Miyuki on yet another soft spot, shutting out the logical side of her. Maya had been keeping a smile on her face throughout the entire conversation, even when she sounded ever so slightly threatening.

It was as clear as day that Maya was cornering Miyuki with her words, forcing her impulse to take over, making Miyuki accept the offer without further thought.

"This is where we end our conversation, as promised I will help you make Tatsuya stay by your side. For starters, both you and Tatsuya shall be summoned this weekend. Make sure you convey that message to him, goodbye." Not allowing Miyuki to raise any questions, Maya cut off her terminal, ending the call.

Just like all her other conversations with Maya, weight was immediately lifted off of Miyuki once Maya ended the call. Only then was she able to process what had just happened and take in the magnitude of her actions. 'I'm sorry Onii-sama but this is for the better, not just for me but for you as well.' Miyuki said inwardly.

 **(Meanwhile)**

Tatsuya rode his bike down the streets, overtaking most commuters. He was rushing for a time although Miyuki did not set a curfew on him, he simply did not want Miyuki to starve while waiting for him to return home knowing full well that Miyuki always waits for him before she starts dinner. However, his caring nature did little to reassure him. Rather, the opposite was true for him, his mind was in turmoil. He promised Miyuki to convey the conversation between him and Koichi word for word when he got back but that was the problem. There was no way he could tell Miyuki that Koichi suggested he date Mayumi, it will only cause a huge outburst from Miyuki. Not only that, but he also gave his word to Koichi to never speak of the conversation with anyone else.

Without coming to a conclusion, Tatsuya returned back home and greeted his sister who stood by the door waiting for him. He went about his usual routine, putting his jacket aside and heading to wash in the bathroom his sister always prepared ahead of time. Only this time while he executed his daily routine, his sister wordlessly stared at him as if something was up. He interrupted his routine and with a concerned voice asked, "did something happen while I was away?"

"Oba-ue summons us to the Yotusba residence this weekend," Miyuki said in a lifeless tone, throwing Tatsuya off even further.

"Oba-ue called!? Did she inquire where I headed to?" Tatsuya was inevitably startled at the news, afraid that his close relationship with the Saegusa clan would incur upon Maya's wrath.

"She did not inquire, she knew from the start." Once again in a lifeless tone, Miyuki replied.

"Then the summoning this weekend, please allow me to go alone." Tatsuya figured out that the upcoming summoning might turn hostile due to his actions.

"Oba-ue summoned us both, defying her would only make things worse. Much like last time, she will use me as a threat to you but you know she wouldn't dare to lay a finger on me. I am an important figure in the Yotsuba family anyway."

Tatsuya gave Miyuki's words a thought can conclude that she was probably right, defying Maya is not an option now. Although disposing Maya is not an impossible task, nothing will be achieved from that if Tatsuya strikes now, therefore his only option is to lay low and endure whatever is thrown at him.

"That piece of news aside, how did the dinner go?" Miyuki slightly tilted her head as she asked Tatsuya.

"He threw a curveball at me, he first started out by complimenting my achievements in hunting the Parasites. After that, he probed around my identity again but I successfully defended it to the fullest, now I am sure my identity has not been compromised." Tatsuya opted to lie to Miyuki, trusting that it was the best option he had.

Miyuki noticed that his brother had done something he has never done before when talking to her – he subconsciously flinched at her question. "That was all there was to it?" she closed in on the distance between the both of them to keep building the pressure.

"Y-Yes." Tatsuya stammered, causing his lie to fall apart. In total disbelief that he stammered, Tatsuya stared at Miyuki.

"Please speak of nothing but the truth, it is not like you at all to lie."

"Forgive me but I cannot speak of the truth that you seek of, I gave Koichi-dono my word that I will not breathe a word about the dinner shared with anyone else." Tatsuya sounded apologetic and kept his face low throughout.

"You would rather keep your promise to a Saegusa than keep a promise to your own sister?" Anger flashed across Miyuki's face but it quickly turned into disappointment and despair. Before Tatsuya could do anything, Miyuki ran off to her room and locked herself in.

 **(Scene change)**

Day or night; rain or shine, the lively streets of Chinatown never rests. Amidst the bustling streets, two gentlemen sat in a tea shop, engaged in a casual conversation.

"Master, what should we do next, the Parasites that were originally in Japan has been completely obliterated."

"Why are you so troubled, do you not trust me and my plans?" Jiedo Heigu continued sipping his tea, unfazed by his trusted disciple's report as if it had been anticipated.

"Of course not, I trust you to my fullest Master. Could it be Master has already foreseen this circumstance that we are in and has already come up with a plan?" A sparkle of admiration could be seen in Zhou's eyes.

To Zhou, being his Jiedo Heigu's righthand man was a privilege. It meant that he had his Master's recognition, enough to be sitting on the same table as he is. To gain this recognition, he had followed his Master's orders to the letter and never doubted any of his Master's decision, no matter how wild and ridiculous it may seem. As far as his recollection can go, he never went wrong when he followed his Master's orders.

After taking Zhou under his wing, Jiedo Heigu can read Zhou just like a book. He knows where Zhou's loyalty lies and intends to take full advantage of it. He keeps feeding Zhou with bits of information and orders, enough to draw his interest but insufficient for him to figure out his master plan.

"Everything up until now has been going exactly as I planned, now we lie low and wait for an opportunity to strike. We sowed a seed of distrust, now we must wait for it to grow before we can reap what we sowed." Jiedo Heigu said with conviction, yet beneath the conviction was uncertainty. Only then did he realise the true strength of his opponents. Although he did plan for the Parasites to be defeated, he did not anticipate a swift obliteration.

 **(Scene change)**

The rest of the week past uneventfully but the air between Miyuki and Tatsuya did not clear up. Regardless of their strained relationship, they still had to attend their summons to the Yotsuba main house.

Tatsuya was in his basement calibrating his CAD-like he was going to war. While a fight is unlikely to break out, it is always better safe than sorry when it comes to the Queen of the Night.

Miyuki, on the other hand, was in her room picking her outfit in much gloom. Over the past few days, she realised how difficult it was to endure having a strained relationship with Tatsuya but she was still reluctant in making the first move to apologise for her behaviour. She intended to force her brother into making the first move in mending their relationship to show that he is still dedicated to her. Sitting on her bed, she stared into her closet, pondering over what dress would catch her brother's eyes.

Travelling to the Yotsuba main house was as troublesome as ever. Luckily, Maya was considerate enough to send a chauffeur down to drive them to the Yotsuba main house. There, Miyuki was greeted with much hospitality while Tatsuya's presence was completely ignored. Miyuki might not have cleared the air between herself and Tatsuya but she was definitely still annoyed at the difference in treatment. Without wasting much time, Miyuki and Tatsuya headed straight for the study where they were told Maya was waiting.

"Good evening, Oba-ue. Our deepest apologies for keeping you waiting." Miyuki said with an apologetic bow.

"Pay no heed to it, my niece and nephew, now take a seat." Maya perched herself on the throne of the room, making her seem slightly taller than she should.

"Pardon my rudeness, but could we skip straight to the agenda of the day?" Miyuki was the one who opened up the conversation once she took a seat.

"Oh my, you cannot spend the time to catch up with me on the past happenings?" Maya sarcastically said.

"If that is you will, then we shall follow it," Miyuki replied once she understood the meaning behind Maya's words.

"Now, let us start with you, Tatsuya." Maya delivered it in a sweet tone befitting of her sinister beauty while allowing her gaze to gently fall onto Tatsuya.

Tatsuya had expected this to happen. He speculated that Maya had two objectives in this summoning—the first is to give him new orders after the Parasite incident: the second is to warn him about his relationship with the Saegusa family. "Oba-ue, pardon my insolence but could I ask you a question instead?"

"Oh, it is indeed rare for you to initiate the conversation. Speak your mind." Genuinely surprised by Tatsuya's response, she decided to sate her curiosity.

"Is there no way to mend our relationship with the Saegusa?"

Both Maya and Miyuki stared at Tatsuya in bewilderment, aghast at his question. The killing intent in the room experienced a sudden surge, enough for Tatsuya to jump in front of Miyuki.

"Fu-fu, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Tatsuya can be so naïve." The animosity in Maya took an unexpected turn and changed to absurdness. "There is no way the rift between the Yotsuba and Saegusa will ever be bridged, not over my dead body." There wasn't a tinge of humour in her tone, just pure hostility and resentment. "Since you know I summoned you here to discuss your relationships with the Saegusa, I shall be blunt then. Drop-out of school and isolate yourself from society for a while." Maya continued in dead seriousness.

"I refuse, I will never drop out of school for whatever reason, not as long as Miyuki is still enrolling in it. If need be, I will lie low permanently and have minimal contact with the Saegusa." Tatsuya had a firm stand and was adamant about it.

"At this point, minimal contact with the Saegusa is not enough. There must be none, none at all." Maya too was adamant about her stand, not willing to give up even an inch of her ground. Instead, she allowed nightfall to come, asserting her dominance in the room.

With a quick draw, Tatsuya used his CAD to shatter the nightfall, filling the room with lights once again. This was not the first time they had talked about this topic and it never fails to end up in a scuffle, Tatsuya had expected at least this much to happen.

"Alright, I will allow your current arrangement to stay if you accept my mission." Maya negotiated, knowing that her magic's worst magic up is Tatsuya.

"Then I shall." Tatsuya accepted the offer immediately.

"It has been confirmed that the perpetrator of the Parasite incident is Jiedo Heigu, hunt him down. Bring no one but Miyuki during this mission and of course be discreet when carrying it out."

"A simple manhunt? Could the Kuroba family not handle this?" Tatsuya questioned Maya's decision to hand this mission over to him since it would hurt the pride of the Kuroba family.

"You could say that Jiedo Heigu has… special magic that allows him to slip away from our grasp."

"You seem to know something about the special magic that Jiedo Heigu has, Oba-ue."

"You have to pay for the information, after all, information is king." With a sly smile, Maya presented her deal on the table.

"And the price?" Tatsuya felt ominous but decided to pry anyway.

"Cut ties with the Saegusa. Have you not realised that you have weakened once you joined forces with the Saegusa? That elder daughter of Saegusa has been introducing feelings that have made you weak, how could you not have noticed that?" Unwilling to let that topic slide, Maya gritted her teeth and reprimanded Tatsuya.

"How has the feeling that she introduced to me weakened me? In fact, I feel more humanly and powerful after interacting with her." Tatsuya rebutted.

"Do you not realise why your mother choose to destroy your feelings? Weapons like you with emotions are simply cumbersome accessories. You feel love, rage, pleasure, hesitation that dulls you when all you need is to be sharp." Maya said without hesitation.

Her words cut deep, Tatsuya was at a loss for words. However, Maya was not willing to let up just yet. "The sole purpose of your existence is to protect the Yotsuba and above all, me. It was my sister who conceived you, but it was I who shaped you. That is right, you are made to be the perfect weapon without a place amongst humans. A weapon that will prevent _that_ incident from happening ever again."

Maya's relentless barrage of words crippled Tatsuya. Taking in everything he had just heard was next to impossible. Up till this point of his life, other than fulfilling his job as a Guardian he was always trying to figure out his personal history. But now that he was all exposed to him, he could not take the truth in. The truth cuts deeper than a dagger, pierces more than just his heart. Not even Miyuki who was sidelined throughout the conversation could hide her dismay.

"…What will happen to me if I become human." A genuine question, asked by a crippled man who just wants to see a shred of hope.

"Impossible, you will cease to exist the moment you become human-like. As your aunt, I am warning you for your sake so heed my advice and cut all ties with the Saegusa." Maya severed the last thread of hope Tatsuya was holding onto cold-bloodedly.

Reduced to his knees, Tatsuya remained still. His world came to a stand-still, in a matter of minutes everything he has had was robbed. He was left with only the ruined remnants. He was devastated.

The only person who stood triumphantly was Maya. She had won the battle fair and square and now she will be able to enjoy her loots rightfully as a victor. It was her plan all along to breakdown Tatsuya before reconstructing him from ground zero. "If you think you have nothing left, then you are wrong. You still belong to the Yotsuba, your sister still wants you. Treasure them or they will too be gone."

The only setback Maya experienced was perhaps in the second part of her plan – the rebuilding. None of her words seems to be able to go through to Tatsuya, he only remained absolutely still. 'I hope I did not go too far, it will be a pity if I lost such a good pawn.'

In Tatsuya's world, it was utter chaos. No, that was an understatement. His world has been flipped many times over within a span of minutes, the devastation was beyond human comprehension. He was desperately trying to find himself amongst the chaos, akin to finding a needle in a haystack. When he finally did, he couldn't understand himself, only adding to his confusion and desperation. It was when he wanted to give in when an inviting voice shone a gleam of hope onto him. He wanted to grab hold of it, the chance that he was given. However hard he struggled, his body just did not want to cooperate with him. He willed as hard as he could, only to be stuck at where he was. Then, silence followed, he felt the chance slipping away. It was back to him, trapped alone in his little pathetic world.


	10. Yotsuba Crisis Arc 4

"It has been a while since we last sat down to have a conversation, please make yourself comfortable Sir."

"It indeed has been, I believe that there will only be one agenda today." Kudou Retsu said as he made himself comfortable in Koichi's Study.

"Of course, I would not dare to take up too much of your valuable time," Koichi said with the utmost respect towards Kudou Retsu, his teacher in life.

"Regarding that boy Tatsuya, what are you going to do with him?" Retsu inquired with concern rather than curiosity.

"Nothing much, I am just attempting to fish for his true identity out of boredom," Koichi replied casually.

"Let me ask you my question again. What do you intend to do with Tatsuya-san?" Retsu knew that it was a lie from the moment Koichi opened his mouth, after all, there was no way he would not be able to tell if his pupil was lying.

"You see right through me, I am deeply apologetic Sir. I can only say that I intend to make him into the weapon of the Saegusa family. I am certain that I can unlock all of his potentials and harness his powers for the Saegusa family."

"You want to turn him into a weapon? Stop your foolish ideas before it is too late! Magicians are humans too!" Koichi's intentions went against his principles, so as Koichi's teacher, he could not help but be infuriated by his pupil's decisions. "I did not teach you of such inhumane acts, don't ever call me your teacher if you proceed with your plan."

"Allow me to explain. Tatsuya-kun is a special case, he is the only magician who is eligible to be called a weapon, he is unable to feel strong emotions."

"What? That is impossible, he is a human after all."

"He has a complicated history which ties to this unique phenomenon which only makes him that much more interesting."

"Even then, he is pitiful enough. He deserves our sympathy, not to be a weapon." Retsu was still adamant on his stand.

"No, he is the chosen one to achieve this spectacular feat, I do not think that holding him back will serve him any justice."

"Remember my advice the first time I spoke to you over the phone regarding Tatsuya-san?" Retsu said with a sigh, he gave in to Koichi.

"Of course, never will I forget your wise advice. However, I would have to admit that I am incapable of deciphering your message." Koichi's face brightened up, not expecting Retsu to give in so easily.

"Without a given context, it is impossible to do so but you must keep it in mind. The moment you figure it out, you should run, but just remember that you cannot hide. You will meet your marker – Him." Retsu said ruthlessly before calming himself down with a sip of tea the servants had so thoughtfully prepared.

"If I may so ask, is there any information that you could so graciously share with me regarding Tatsuya-san?" Although he knew that he was pushing his boundaries, Koichi had to take the risk. He was simply far too obsessed with figuring out Tatsuya's identity.

"With all the troubles you went through digging out information about him, you should know him better than me. Furthermore, I would be long gone if I knew anything noteworthy." While Retsu appeared to give Koichi a cold shoulder, he was, in fact, reiterating his warnings of how dangerous Tatsuya is.

 **(Scene Change)**

As soon as Tatsuya opened his eyes, nostalgia engulfed him. He was lying on the bed he used while he was still staying at the Yotsuba main residence. He mustered his strength and sat up, his head throbbing at the same time. Taking a deep breath in, he looked around the room and confirmed that it was left in the exact state before he moved out. As his gaze returned to him, he saw Miyuki's head resting on the side of his bed sleeping worriedly. 'I must have been out for long.' Tatsuya said inwardly as he searched for the clock in the room. 'It is already dawn, I guess I must have been out for more than half a day.' Tatsuya murmured, still trying to take in this new experience. Never in his life had he collapsed, his magic Regrowth would always kick in before he even had a chance to collapse. However, this time Regrowth did not automatically activate when Tatsuya lost consciousness, raising some new questions around his magic.

As he hopped out of bed, he used Regrowth on himself to get rid of the headaches and opted to go to the training ground to train as he used to when he was undergoing his Guardian training for old times' sake. Walking down the hallway, every door and every corner seemed to throw nostalgic memories at him.

Back when he was still undergoing Guardian training, he was the cream of the crop. Yet however talented he seemed, nobody was surprised at all. After all, he came to this world with only one job – To protect the Yotsuba from any harm, no matter the scale. Every aspect of his life, from what he slept to how he trained, was carefully planned out to make him a flawless weapon. His training was designed around the principle of a perfect, indestructible and overpowering weapon made by a magician. For his entire childhood, be it during missions or training, there was absolutely no margin for error. Every kick he lashed out was supposed to hit dead centre, not even a centimetre off will do. His childhood years were filled with hardship, but there was nothing he could do about it, it was the only way for him to exist.

Somehow, he managed to push all the nostalgic memories aside as he started his training regime, sorting out his thoughts of the previous day while he was at it. He was reconsidering his approach towards amending the strained relationship between the Saegusa and Yotsuba. The rift between both clans seemed to have been increasing through the years, with both rivals pointlessly competing for supremacy discreetly. After the fateful incident, both clans took different approaches to gain power. The Saegusa focussed on gaining power through building rapport with other clans to increase their sphere of influence while the Yotsuba focussed on training magicians to increase their raw power. Both clans have succeeded in their own approach, with the Saegusa clan being the most influential clan and the Yotsuba clan being unrivalled in terms of strength.

Even through the myriad of thoughts in Tatsuya's mind, he still kept a lookout for Miyuki. He recognised that she was fast approaching the training grounds. Miyuki naturally took precedence over whatever he was doing and so he threw aside whatever was going through his mind and gave his attention to her when she appeared at the entrance of the training ground.

"You shouldn't be training right now, get more rest! You just passed out for half a day!" Sounding surprisingly authoritative although her words were laced with much concern, Miyuki's tone took Tatsuya by complete surprise.

She earned herself nothing but a blank look from Tatsuya who did not utter a single word. The silence made the tension of the room bubble over the threshold. The one who gave way was Miyuki, whose knees gave way and abruptly burst out in tears.

Confused over her state of emotion, Tatsuya could only run over to her side and lend her his shoulder to silently console Miyuki.

"I am in the wrong, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have, even for a second, cooperated with Oba-ue against you." Miyuki muttered while sobbed in guilt on Tatsuya's shoulders.

"I am your Guardian, nothing you do to me is wrong. As such, please do not apologise to be, you must uphold your image especially in front of the Yotsuba main family." Tatsuya said in his normal tone as if nothing was wrong. However, Miyuki failed to interpret it as it is on the surface level. Tatsuya's inappropriate selection of words made Miyuki feel distanced from him as if their relationship just took a hit.

'Is he angry at me? Why does he not address himself as my brother, instead painfully remind himself of the duty that he is bounded to but hates so much?' Left in an abyss of her own without her pillar of support, she felt empty. Still leaning against Tatsuya's shoulder, she continued to sob silently.

"Tatsuya-san, Maya-sama…" Hayama interrupted himself when he saw Miyuki sobbing in Tatsuya's shoulder.

"She is fine, leave it to me. Please continue with your message Hayama-san, what does Oba-ue want?" Tatsuya said.

"She summons you to her quarters." Hayama disclosed.

"To her quarters?" Tatsuya gave Hayama a doubtful look.

"Yes, she has also requested for Miyuki-sama to appear alongside with you, however, I believe that she will understand her absence when I report to Maya-sama about her current situation."

"I will go with you Onii-sama, just give me a moment." Determined to accompany Tatsuya, Miyuki collected her emotions and used make-up to cover up her puffy eyes before heading to Maya's quarters with Tatsuya.

 **(Scene Change)**

"Mayumi, what is your progress with Tatsuya-san? Is it stagnant?"

"It is not but the progress is excruciatingly slow," Mayumi replied with a hint of annoyance. Her father has the habit of poking his nose into Mayumi's relationships, especially ever since Mayumi started pursuing Tatsuya. Partly because he wanted to officially obtain Tatsuya but mainly because he genuinely wanted Mayumi to find a partner as soon as possible.

"When can you get him into our family?"

"Checking on me every other day won't help me pursue him faster." Mayumi really wanted to roll her eyes but resisted the urge to. She knew that such a disrespectful act will trigger her father since her family emphasises heavily on respect.

"I know, but you have to sate my desire by finding a partner or I simply cannot stop."

"This is my first time pursuing a guy, give me more time. Furthermore, he has a complicated personality." Mayumi tried to push Koichi away with her words, hoping that it will put an end to this conversation.

"Are you confident in getting him?"

"Yes, as far as I know, he is not interested in anyone else other than his sister but he cannot marry his sister anyway so I guess I'm his only option."

"A week, is that enough?"

"Father, please be reasonable. I will need something along the lines of a year at least."

"A year? You want me to constantly check on you every other day for the next year?"

"Father please, I may be capable but I cannot do the impossible."

"Alright, a month," Koichi said, beaming with generosity while Mayumi went wretched.

"Relationships cannot be rushed, give me at least half a year," Mayumi said in great distress.

"You know it as well as I do, we cannot afford to wait. The longer you drag this on, the more suitors will come knocking on our doors and I will have to reject all of them. Sooner rather than later, they will smell something fishy going on and if they find out you pursing Tatsuya, it will cause a massive scandal. You know how it will end when it comes to that." Koichi said in a serious manner.

"Yes father, I will give it my best," Mayumi replied monotonously before leaving Koichi's study, letting out a huge sigh the moment she stepped out. She took out her terminal and dropped Tatsuya a text, hoping that he will accept her offer.

 **(Scene Change)**

"Good morning my darlings, I hope the both of you slept well last night. Must feel so nostalgic, sleeping in your old bedrooms that have been left unchanged." Maya greeted Tatsuya and Miyuki with her usual sinister smile.

"Good morning, Oba-ue." Tatsuya greeted, waiting for Maya to continue.

"Before the both of you leave, I want to reiterate what I said yesterday. Tatsuya, there shall and will be no attempts at forging a relationship with any member of the Saegusa family or else there will be inconceivable consequences, not to Miyuki but to others around you. Now, I want to speak to Miyuki privately, please excuse us Tatsuya-kun." Maya said with absolute authority, leaving no room for either Tatsuya or Miyuki to speak.

Miyuki gave Tatsuya a longing look, making Tatsuya think twice about leaving. It was only when Miyuki gave Tatsuya a nod did Tatsuya leave the room, leaving behind Miyuki face-to-face with Maya.

"I believe you have questions for me." Maya's expression transited from a serious one to a casual and much friendlier one.

"You dilapidated Onii-sama yesterday, I'm sure that wasn't part of the deal," Miyuki said, staring at Maya with much hatred in her eyes.

"Was it not? Or was it? Our deal has no explicit terms other than for me to keep Tatsuya by your side. My doing was in compliance with our deal, in fact, I can do it in whichever way I deem fit."

"Then I would like to pull out of the deal," Miyuki said defiantly.

"The weak cannot do as they please, that is a valuable life lesson that you have to learn Miyuki-chan."

"So, what do I have to do in order to pull out of the deal?"

"You cannot pull out of the deal, it is as simple as that. Furthermore, this deal is advantageous to both of us, I don't see the reason why you would want to pull out."

"I want to pull out, what can you do about it?" In a complete turn of events, Miyuki started defiantly taunted Maya. The atmosphere in the room took a turn for the worse, immediately tightening the air in the room as Maya stared intently at Miyuki.

"Ho, since when did you start becoming defiant? Did spending time with Tatsuya-kun influence you for the worse?" Seemingly amused, Maya finally spoke after a period of silence.

"No, Onii-sama will never influence me negatively. It is your outrageous act last night that made me this defiant."

"I feel sorry for my sister, she will be disappointed to have her only precious daughter become defiant. Miyuki, you know how our clan works, nobody can defy me."

"Then I will be the first."

"Persistent, aren't you? Before you ever try to defy me again, think about the consequences. Without my help, you will lose Tatsuya right in front of your eyes to that Saegusa wrench."

"I would rather lose Onii-sama than plot against him," Miyuki said with plenty of conviction.

"Defiance will not get you anywhere, nor will it do you any good. Apologise now and I will close an eye on this matter."

"I apologise Oba-ue, but I will continue to defy you on this matter." It took all of the courage Miyuki had to say it.

Suddenly, Maya's laughter filled her room. Her laughter akin to that of a madman, eyes filled with anger and bloodlust. "Alright, so this is what you have become. You would rather lose Tatsuya-kun than to work with me, I will hold you accountable for your words."

"If you must, Oba-ue," Miyuki said as she dismissed herself. She knew that she had passed the point of no return, from this point on it means war against her own clan.

 **(Meanwhile)**

Tatsuya walked out of Maya's quarters, staring worriedly at the entrance. As if on cue, a ringtone denoting a text rang from his terminal. Tatsuya took out his terminal to find a message from Mayumi but hesitated to open it. He was unsure if he was in the right place and time to handle issues, especially relationship issues, associated with Mayumi.

Regardless, he decided to take the risk anyway. Opening the text, he read the content silently.

'Tatsuya-kun, can you drop by the reading booth tomorrow after school? I just need a few minutes of your time.' As Tatsuya read the text, he began to speculate what Mayumi might have installed for him before he came to a decision. However, knowing Mayumi, there are endless possibilities as to why so wanted to meet him.

Resigned to the thought that he was unable to predict her motive, Tatsuya decided to ask Mayumi instead. 'We just talked not long ago and you already want to see me again?' Tatsuya did not want to reveal his intentions right away but instead chose to beat around the bush.

'Yeah, I am already missing you.' Mayumi replied right away.

Mayumi's brazen reply took Tatsuya aback, but it fuelled him to be a little more aggressive with his responses. 'Did I not crush your heart already? What more is there to say?'

'I don't know but I know that you are the only one who can fix my heart.'

'You are brilliantly bold today with your texts.'

'Thank you, you are quite frank with me today too.' Mayumi took Tatsuya's words as compliments.

'Unfortunately, I am emotionally incapable of fixing up your heart, I'm sorry about that.'

'Ah, I am not referring to you dating me but simply using your magic Regrowth to heal my heart.'

'You think I will go through all the pain for you?'

'You went berserk after I took a hit, so I think you will.'

'Let's not talk about that incident, rather let's get back on point. Why do you want to meet me tomorrow?' Tatsuya gave up on trying to hide his intentions, this conversation was flowing in the opposite direction of what he desired.

'Come and you will find out I guess.' Mayumi replied, denying Tatsuya's request.

'I don't want to be locked in the reading booth with you, God knows how bad of an actor you were. Remember last time when you faked falling down?'

'I have worked on my craft, trust me. I am going to amaze you so just drop by tomorrow. Five minutes is more than enough, but I don't mind you staying.'

'I will see about that tomorrow.' Tatsuya replied as he let out a huge sigh. He could not help but find himself ironic, he was just told off to not interact with a Saegusa ever again but within minutes he has already agreed to meet Mayumi. Then again, he did not agree to the restriction Maya forcefully enforced.

 **(Scene Change)**

The next day after school, Tatsuya took the opportunity to slip off while Miyuki was still busy with her Student Council work. While walking to the reading booth, he could not help but recall how his sister busted him being intimate with Mayumi, although it was very much an accident. He reminded himself to constantly keep his distance this time and not take any unnecessary risks.

"Over here, Tatsuya-kun!" Mayumi was waiting outside the reading booth, eagerly waiting for Tatsuya.

"Keep it down Senpai, we are in a library!" Tatsuya hushed Mayumi instantly in a low voice.

"Got it, now come in quickly." Mayumi gave Tatsuya one of her signatures pouts in response.

Tatsuya took an extra chair before entering the reading booth, making sure that they sat with a respectable distance between each other.

"Are you scared of me or what?" Mayumi questioned when she saw Tatsuya take an extra chair.

"I am afraid that your terrible acting skills will make Miyuki think that we are doing inappropriate things in here," Tatsuya replied with his stoic face.

"Please, it was you who got intimate with me when your sister busted you." Mayumi rebutted, hoping to trigger some sort of emotion no matter how meagre it may be.

"It was, but it was a result of your horrible acting. I thought I should show you how it should be done."

"Is there something wrong? You seem… a little more emotionless than usual." Mayumi asked out of concern.

"As expected of an Ojou-sama, you managed to pick it up even though a perfect stoic face."

"You haven't answered my question, or am I poking my nose into your personal affairs too much?"

"It is the latter."

"Well, sorry but you should know that I will always be willing to be your listening ear. You can approach me at any time to talk about anything, I will always be there for you."

'If I told you everything, you probably wouldn't see me again' was what Tatsuya wanted to say but he resisted the notion. Instead, he replied with a simple "thanks".

"Alright, now for what I wanted to talk to you about. Recently, a new wave of Parasites has entered Japanese territories, specifically the areas under the jurisdiction of the Saegusa family. My father is sure that there is someone pulling the strings and wants you on board with us to hunt the culprit down." Switching to a serious, business-like tone Mayumi delivered the message on behalf of her father.

"This must be a personal request from your father I suppose, judging from your delivery of this request."

"It is, the first person that he wanted on board was you."

"What an honour, but I will have to decline. The Ministry of Defence requires my assistance so I will have to serve them." Tatsuya used the Ministry of Defence as an excuse to decline the offer. As much as he wanted to join forces with Mayumi, he must stay low for the time being.

"I understand, but what should I say to my father? I can't possibly tell him that you are going to serve the Ministry of Defence."

"Tell him that I declined due to personal reasons. To make it seem more legitimate, I will not be going to service your CAD for the subsequent two weeks."

"You don't need to go so far as to not service my CAD." Mayumi's heart ached the moment Tatsuya said that he will not be servicing her CAD for two weeks, it meant that she will not be able to spend time with Tatsuya at her house for two weeks.

"I do or your father will start asking me questions. When it comes to that stage, I will most likely be exposed." Tatsuya was adamant to not be seen with a Saegusa for the time being, at least until he is able to ensure the safety of everyone around him.

"Alright, but moving on to a more… sensitive topic…" Mayumi hesitated but continued, "is it really not possible? Between you and me I mean."

"Yes, it is not possible. Although we can legally get married, I do not want Senpai to have a partner that does not have feelings towards her."

"You see, my father is really pressurising me recently to find a partner soon. Somehow, he knows that I have developed feelings for you and he is pressing to make me date you. I think he will force us to go on one soon, so I thought of bringing it up to you first." Trying to make herself look abashed, Mayumi rubbed her hands against each other and tilted her head slightly all in an attempt to make herself look cuter.

"Senpai, learn to blush or it will never be convincing," Tatsuya said with a straight face, unfazed by Mayumi's seductive actions.

"Coming from you? A person who cannot even burst into laughter naturally."

"I cannot help it, I am emotionally disabled."

"Tch, then at least commend me for my effort." Mayumi pouted for the second time.

"You didn't even improve on your craft as you claimed, why should I commend you?"

"I rehearsed this a couple of times yesterday in my bedroom, I swear it looked like the real thing."

"Seek professional help please, you are hopeless," Tatsuya said cold-heartedly.

"Hmpf, prick." This time crossing her arms in front of her chest, Mayumi turned her head away from Tatsuya.

"Fine, I am sorry, you did great on this performance," Tatsuya said sarcastically.

"Say the exact same line with less sarcasm and your apology will be accepted."

"Oh no, it is time for me to go. I don't want Miyuki to see me with you in a reading booth again." Tatsuya took the extra chair he sat on and left as immediately, leaving Mayumi hanging.

"Aish, Tatsuya-kun is too much, I must get him back for this somehow." Mayumi held a friendly grudge against Tatsuya.


	11. Yotsuba Crisis Arc 5

It was the evening Tatsuya went to meet Mayumi, Miyuki was ploughing through the mountain of paperwork a Student Council President when she received a message from an unknown number. Her very first reaction was to delete the message immediately, but the preview of the message shown on her screen made her hesitate. 'Text logs between Tatsuya and Mayu—' Although the last word was cut off, she knew that it would spell 'Mayumi'. The preview of the text piqued Miyuki's curiosity, the only thing holding her back was the fear of hackers. Although technology has advanced dramatically, hackers still manage to get around the latest security systems to hack devices.

'This must be Oba-ue's first move against me.' Miyuki thought, but she could not help but feel curious. With things between her brother and Mayumi escalating so quickly recently, she wanted to know if they were doing anything behind her back. The first person she thought of that could help her was none other than the Electron Sorcerer. She dialled for Fujibayashi Kyouko who picked up almost immediately.

"Miyuki-chan, it has been a while, hasn't it? Are you calling on behalf of your brother?"

"No, this time it's a personal matter that my brother is not involved in. Could you help me install the latest anti-malware system in my terminal?"

Both of them spoke in a business-like manner, a testimony to the type of relationship they share. Both of them met through Tatsuya and have remained in touch only for business purposes, neither of them has taken the initiative to evolve their relations.

"That is one unusual request, but it shouldn't be a problem, just give me a minute."

As if on cue, both of them hung up at the same time and Miyuki set her terminal to idle mode, voluntarily allowing Kyouko to hack her terminal and take control over it. Within a minute, Miyuki's phone was equipped with the strongest anti-malware system developed to date.

'Done.' A text from Kyouko came, to which Miyuki responded with a simple 'Thank you, reliable and fast as always' text. With her terminal ready for whatever the sketchy message had, she proceeded to open the text message.

[Start of chat log]

[December 3rd, 11:30] Mayumi: Tatsuya-kun, can you drop by the reading booth tomorrow after school? I just need a few minutes of your time.

[December 3rd, 11:31] Tatsuya: We just talked not long ago and you already want to see me again?

[December 3rd, 11:31] Mayumi: Yeah, I am already missing you.

[December 3rd, 11:32] Tatsuya: Did I not crush your heart already? What more is there to say?

[December 3rd, 11:32] Mayumi: I don't know but I know that you are the only one who can fix my heart.

[December 3rd, 11:32] Tatsuya: You are brilliantly bold today with your texts.

[December 3rd, 11:33] Mayumi: Thank you, you are quite frank with me today too.' Mayumi took Tatsuya's words as compliments.

[December 3rd, 11:33] Tatsuya: Unfortunately, I am emotionally incapable of fixing up your heart, I'm sorry about that.

[December 3rd, 11:33] Mayumi: Ah, I am not referring to you dating me but simply using your magic Regrowth to heal my heart.

[December 3rd, 11:34] Tatsuya: You think I will go through all the pain for you?

[December 3rd, 11:34] Mayumi: You went berserk after I took a hit, so I think you will.

[December 3rd, 11:34] Tatsuya: Let's not talk about that incident, rather let's get back on point. Why do you want to meet me tomorrow?

[December 3rd, 11:35] Mayumi: Come and you will find out I guess.

[December 3rd, 11:35] Tatsuya: I don't want to be locked in the reading booth with you, God knows how bad of an actor you were. Remember last time when you faked falling down?

[December 3rd, 11:36] Mayumi: I have worked on my craft, trust me. I am going to amaze you so just drop by tomorrow. Five minutes is more than enough, but I don't mind you staying.

[December 3rd, 11:37] Tatsuya: I will see about that tomorrow.

[End of chat log]

Although Miyuki kept telling herself to take this information with a pinch of salt, she could not help but be infuriated. How could Mayumi talk to her brother like that, teasing him as and when she likes. She is also confused by what Tatsuya said, especially the text where he mentioned him breaking Mayumi's heart and him going berserk over her. The only way to find out if this information is accurate is to find out for herself, starting by checking on Tatsuya. 'If he were to meet Mayumi-senpai today, then he must be meeting her now. After all, he was with me during lunch break, so this is his only opportunity.' Miyuki immediately dropped her work and headed to the reading booth.

 **(Meanwhile)**

"Have you sent the text?"

"I followed your instructions down to the letter."

"Has she opened it?"

"She has, but as you expected I am unable to hack her terminal."

"Good, check your bank account, the agreed sum of money should already be in there."

 **(Scene change)**

"Onii-sama, why are you here? Don't you have Public Moral work to do?" Miyuki was walking to the reading booth when she saw Tatsuya and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"That's my line, it is unusual for you to finish your Student Council work so fast."

"Onii-sama, please don't dodge my question." The vibe Miyuki was radiating was different from the one she usually had around Tatsuya. She was giving out a vibe of distrust towards Tatsuya of all people.

"Alright, I finished my work and here I am reading as usual."

"And you are already leaving?" Miyuki said interrogatively.

"I just wanted to get a cup of coffee from the café, why are you so agitated?" Tatsuya asked.

"Its nothing, I'm sorry," Miyuki said as she walked past Tatsuya and went straight to the reading booth.

"Where are you going?" Tatsuya caught up with Miyuki and whispered while holding her hand to stop her advancement towards the reading booth.

"To the reading booth," Miyuki answered with a displeased face.

"You are unlike yourself, did something happen today?"

"I'm sorry Onii-sama, but there is something that I must urgently check in the reading booth right now," Miyuki said as she broke free of Tatsuya's grip.

Miyuki reached the entrance of the reading booth and to Tatsuya's dismay, opened the door to the reading booth. What shocked Miyuki more was not the fact that Mayumi was in the reading booth but the fact that her brother did such things behind her back.

"Miyuki-chan? Ara, do you need to use the reading booth? We could share, I don't mind." Mayumi asked in her usual cheery manner as if nothing happened.

Miyuki slammed the door shut and strutted to Tatsuya. "Onii-sama, what was that about?"

"It is as you have seen, I have no excuses."

"Why? Please tell me why you did such things behind my back."

"As you know, she helped me last time during my hunt for the Parasites. She can provide me with insight into this task so I met up with her."

"Without me? Especially in the reading booth, didn't I tell you not to meet up with her in the reading booth ever again after what happened last time?" A snowstorm started in the library, making temperatures drop instantly.

"Calm down Miyuki, Mayumi-senpai and I did nothing dirty in the room. All I did was get information out of her, you can check the tapes of the camera in the reading booth if you so wish."

"That's all? Did she not go about her usual doings of trying to seduce you?" Miyuki pressed on with her questioning.

"Don't say such awful things, Miyuki-chan. And control your magic, this is still within school compounds, the sensors will definitely pick something up." Mayumi said with a calm demeanour when she walked out of the reading booth. All she had to do was to put two and two together to realise why Miyuki was having an outburst.

Miyuki glared fiercely at Mayumi while she tamed her magic, allowing tables and chairs to emerge from layers of ice and snow. She knew that she stepped out of line, the statement she made against Mayumi was very disrespectful especially when Mayumi was a rising public figure. As much as her temper boiled on, she forced herself to suppress her anger. Her usual, Ojou-like demeanour was back in the seconds of silence. It only then did she turn her gaze towards Tatsuya, who was already devoting his attention to her.

"Onii-sama, please return home at once. I will head back as soon as I sort things out at the Student Council." With a stoic face of her own, Miyuki stared straight into Tatsuya's eyes.

Tatsuya could see it in his sister's eyes. Her pair of exasperate eyes screamed in frenzy. She was completely disgusted at the outrageous act he committed. Without a choice, he obeyed. As he walked past Miyuki, he glanced at Mayumi for just a second before he walked out of the door. Although he didn't believe in a god, he prayed. He prayed that whatever happens after he leaves will be settled peacefully even when he knew it was not going to happen.

The library felt empty as soon as Tatsuya left. Apart from sets of tables, chairs and terminals, there were only two girls standing absolutely still in a stand-off. The silence seemed to replace the air in the room as tension in the room steadily rose. As the tension reached a breaking point, Miyuki bravely broke the silence.

"Senpai, please stop pestering my brother."

Mayumi raised an eyebrow, half of her felt surprised for how straightforward Miyuki was and the other half of her applauded Miyuki for her bravery in breaking the silence. Mayumi, knowing that the battle of face-offs is decided by mind games, did not respond immediately. Instead, she allowed silence to fill the room again, testing Miyuki's patience.

"I am not pestering him, please do not start rumours." Mayumi gave her response after she deemed that Miyuki passed the test of patience.

"You may not know it, but your overly-intimate actions recently have made my brother feel excruciatingly uncomfortable."

"Is that so? He seems to enjoy it when I am around him, especially when I am within his arm's reach." Mayumi proclaimed provocatively.

"He forced it upon himself to act as if everything was fine so that you will not be humiliated, in reality, he hates it more than anything else in the world." Not falling into Mayumi's bait to be angered, Miyuki managed to craft up a response.

"Can you bear the responsibility of speaking on your brother's behalf?" Mayumi knew that Miyuki was probably lying judging from how Tatsuya reacted around her. But then again, there were multiple instances where Tatsuya pulled himself away from her when she tried to get intimate.

"Of course, what consequences are there for me to bear when I am speaking of the truth?"

Miyuki's confidence in her statement amplified Mayumi's doubt on Tatsuya. She was almost certain that Tatsuya liked being around her, but she knew very well that since Tatsuya is more than capable of putting up an act.

"I applaud you for being able to lie as if it was the truth, but I am not gullible. Tatsuya voluntarily came down to meet me behind your back, how could this be if he doesn't like being around me."

"Fear not, I will hear from him when I reach home."

"I am sure you will, but don't you want to hear from me first? I have lots to share, so much happened before you came." Mayumi blushed slightly, making her statement seem that much more truthful.

"This is outrageous! He will never perpetrate such malicious acts." Miyuki could not suppress her anger anymore and raised her voice.

"Keep it down Miyuki-chan, this is the library." Mayumi knew that she had won the mental game with her last provocation, this face-off will be an easy win for her. "Fear nothing, it definitely isn't anything too outrageous. I am as certain as you that Tatsuya-kun will never do something malicious."

"What is it then? What trick did you use this time to manipulate Onii-sama." Miyuki toned it down a notch, trying to revert to a calm state.

"Ara, you make it sound like I'm the evil person here." Instead of answering the question, Mayumi decided to dodge it.

"Don't even try to dodge the question, answer me this instance." Miyuki's irritation did not simmer down, in fact, although it is not visible, her anger was steadily boiling silently from within.

"Alright, we talked about the Parasite incident, that's all there is to it," Mayumi said in a nonchalantly.

Miyuki realised that Mayumi had just been wasting her time all this while, she has yet to extract even the slightest of information she wanted to know. "It is fine if you do not want to tell me, I can always find out for myself." The pure, snow-white toned face of Miyuki turned black as she spoke in a cold voice. She met her icy gaze with Mayumi's and flash cast one of the secret Mental Interference magic belonging to the Yotsuba clan, giving off a murderous vibe.

"What…" Mayumi's lips trembled in fear, she has yet to feel so intimidated in the span of her life.

"You look scared, like a helpless sheep in front of a lion. What has the Ojou-sama of the Saegusa reduced to?" Miyuki locked her gaze straight into Mayumi's eyes, staring her down.

Mayumi stood rooted to the ground, her legs trembled in fear and soon gave way. Her hands suffered the same fate, unable to move and soon gave way. Now on the ground, she felt that she had shrunk immensely. Never had she felt so vulnerable, so helpless and powerless. She felt as if her life was at stake. Miyuki had helped her redefined the feeling of fear.

"Tell me what you did to Onii-sama," Miyuki commanded Mayumi.

Feared into submission, Mayumi confessed. "I… My father wanted Tatsuya-kun to join me in hunting down the mastermind of the Parasites." She could not help but stutter while she confessed, her nervousness only increased when she chose to omit the latter part of what she did to Tatsuya.

Judging by how intimidated Mayumi is, Miyuki safely concluded that she was not lying. However, she was confident that there is more than meets the eye, Mayumi was not telling her the full story. "Is that all? I'm pretty sure it isn't."

"There isn't anything more, that's what we did. I merely followed orders from my father." Mayumi lied, but she was not in the right frame of mind to make it convincing at all.

Miyuki instantly saw through Mayumi's lie, she did not even need to put in any effort. "Drop the act." She said.

Those three words struck deep into Mayumi. Forgetting to breathe, she ran out of breath soon. Her life flashed past her as if she was about to meet her maker. She did not know how to react, she was in a complete mental meltdown. No part of her was rational or functional.

"Spill the beans this very instant," Miyuki spoke again.

Akin to a broken doll, Mayumi opened her mouth but nothing escaped from it. Instead, she was hyperventilating, desperately gasping for air.

'Maybe I pushed this a little too far, but I must admit that I like this feeling a lot.' Miyuki commented inwardly. She enjoyed the taste of crippling Mayumi, it was exactly what she needed to sate her anger. "Let this be a lesson, do not mess with my Onii-sama." As with all things, they come to an end. Miyuki decided to spare Mayumi this time around, pitying her for the mental trauma she went through. "Do not breathe a word about this to anyone else, especially not my Onii-sama." Miyuki certainly did not want any attention to be drawn from this incident, it would not do her good if she was caught committing the deed. With all said and done, Miyuki took her to leave and headed home to join Tatsuya.

Still stricken by fear, Mayumi could get regain control of herself even after Miyuki left. The fear turned into bitter curiosity, the hunger for an answer to the identity of Tatsuya's family. The desire to find out more behind how Miyuki's outburst is similar to that of Tatsuya's outburst where he saved her just multiplied tenfold. She needed answers in her research to win her war. Her war against Miyuki for Tatsuya.

Without a doubt, with each passing day spent with Tatsuya, more questions are raised. The shroud of mystery that continues to surround the blood running through Tatsuya's family once again plunges the Saegusa clan deeper into the unknown.

 **(Scene Change)**

Tatsuya stared long and hard at the entrance of the Library. He was worried that his sister will do something foolish. Maybe that, or he was just worried that Mayumi would suffer at the hands of his sister. He was unable to differentiate his feelings for Mayumi and it is causing him too much trouble. He felt as if he breached the point of no return, things may have already gone out of hand.

Sitting on the edge of the fountain outside the library, Tatsuya sunk into the depth of his thoughts. He collected his feelings and settled them down in a way he never had. This phase of his life gave him a taste of something nostalgic, something that he had been longing forever since he was young. Emotions. What should be a joyous occasion has turned into a turmoil. Relationship complications pile up one on top of another, creating a rift of distrust. He needed to start sorting his relationship issues out. He knew that he was running short of time and he had to turn his words into actions, yet a question that stands in front of him. Does he truly love Mayumi? The question has been floating around since he was first invited to Mayumi's house and for the longest possible time, Tatsuya has been running away from it. It was perhaps time for him to face it.

With a troubled mind and heavy heart, Tatsuya walked towards the station and returned home.

 **(Scene Change)**

Dinner has not been enjoyable for Tatsuya recently, it has turned into an interrogation session. To Tatsuya's surprise, Miyuki did not return outraged. Instead, she was taking rather light steps which made him wonder what she did to Mayumi. Although nothing registers on his face, Tatsuya is very worried – to the best he can make out of his emotions – about Mayumi. He had no idea what happened to Mayumi after he left simply because he was mind was too troubled for him to use Elemental Sight to check on the situation earlier in the library between Mayumi and Miyuki.

"Onii-sama, let's cut straight to the chase." Miyuki started in cheerfully. Her dreamy eyes and cheerful tone threw Tatsuya off, now he was really curious about what happened.

"We traded information about Parasites. Apparently, her father wanted me on board to hunt down the mastermind, something Oba-ue wanted me to do as well."

"And?" Miyuki probed.

"I turned down her offer, I cannot risk it after our fateful meeting with Oba-ue."

"Just that? Didn't Mayumi-senpai do anything else? She certainly boasted to me about many, rather inappropriate actions that she partook with you."

"She is lying, we did nothing inappropriate. She teased me about her father wanting both herself and me to be a couple."

"That's all?" Miyuki asked doubtfully. She was certain that her brother would not dare to lie to her again after what had happened, but she felt that her trust has been mistreated recently.

"Nothing more, nothing less." Tatsuya defended himself from the doubtful pair of eyes.

"Alright, let us put this matter behind us. I am sure that you won't do it again would you." Miyuki said as she took up her spoon and started on her soup.

"Regarding that, Miyuki I…" Tatsuya's voice quivered and trailed off, definitely a first for him.

Miyuki's hands paused in mid-air in an instant, causing soup in her spoon to spill back into the bowl. She cocked an eyebrow, picking up on Tatsuya's unusual voice. She began to doubt but opt to wait patiently for Tatsuya to find his voice again.

"I can't promise you that I will not come into contact with Mayumi-senpai anymore." Tatsuya continued with a somewhat guilty voice.

Miyuki dropped her spoon, the metal clashed against the soup, spilling the soup all over. Her initial astonishment did not last as she suddenly snapped with rage. "What did that vixen do to you Onii-sama? Come to your senses!" Miyuki stood up and slammed both her hands onto the table, instantly freezing it.

"Calm down and listen to me Miyuki, please lend me your ears." Tatsuya plead, he had never seen Miyuki in such a fury and he had never wished to.

Miyuki's temper did not soften to Tatsuya's plead, she clenched her fist and shattered the now frozen table. "Listen to you? Whatever comes out of your mouth is rubbish that the vixen fed you with. She played with your mind! You need to come back to me Onii-sama! I am saving you, why aren't you helping yourself by cooperating with me?"

"I will inevitably run into her again so–."

Miyuki was running on a short fuse and did not wait for Tatsuya to finish, instead, she cut Tatsuya off. "I command you, as your rightful Master that you will never ever, without my permission, interact with that vixen named Saegusa Mayumi." Miyuki's voice was shaking with anger as much as her fist were.

Her verdict came down hard on Tatsuya, he did not in the slightest expect his own sister to use her authority against him. The pact that unconditionally binds him to Miyuki till his death, the very pact that turned him into a weapon, that Miyuki so much detested because of how much it degraded his social standings in the family. He just couldn't believe that he had forced his sister to resort to such tactics. It did not matter how much he wanted to object, he must and only has a single reply. And that is to conform, to follow and to execute to perfection no matter how impossible it seems.

Tatsuya nodded powerlessly, wordlessly complying. Only then did he finally stood up and walked past Miyuki and straight to his room where he lied in his bed, wondering how it all came to this point.


	12. Yotsuba Crisis Arc 6

Dusk came and soon it became dawn. It is yet another sleepless night for both Tatsuya and Miyuki. It has been a week since they last talked and it did not go well for either of them. Tatsuya skipped school since and tried to keep his mind occupied with developing magic, although it is not to much avail. Miyuki, on the other hand, was completely lifeless and it definitely caught the attention of many. Speculations are thrown around, rumours spread like wildfire, but none of them is remotely close to the truth.

Ever since Miyuki used her authority against Tatsuya's will, an abyss between them had opened up. They have not yet interacted since even confining themselves to their rooms while having their meals. Although reluctant, Tatsuya still carried out Miyuki's orders to his fullest, which meant destroying all ways of communication with Mayumi. Over the course of performing his orders, he also destroyed all ways for anybody to contact him. In doing so, he prevented Mayumi to communicate with him, directly or indirectly.

Miyuki felt the increasing guilt pressing down on her heart with each passing day Tatsuya refusing to open up to her. She is desperately in need of support too. After all, she just declared war against her very own clan and needed every bit of help she can possibly get without compromising her own identity. The only person capable of that is none other than her own brother, whom she had lost her grip on earlier, and now not even interacting with. It felt as if things between both of them keep getting worse as the days past. Now she questions herself every day if it was the right thing to come down hard on her brother.

"Miyuki." The voice she was longing for a week, the voice that she was all so familiar with, the voice that she took for granted just a week before, now she finally could hear it again although it was not filled with the warmth it used to contain. Miyuki jumped off her bed and opened the door, pleasant to see Tatsuya.

"Oba-ue had previously ordered me to take down Jiedo Heigu, what of it now?" The voice was cold and hard, so immediate that Miyuki did not even have a chance to greet her brother.

"Don't bother with it, we are no longer part of the Yotsuba."

"No no no, continue with your mission Tatsuya." Yotsuba Maya's voice filled the hallway.

"What was that?" Miyuki was on high alert, surely Maya did not trespass into their house.

"She is nowhere near our residence, do not worry. It is probably the Central Communication System." Tatsuya appeared unfazed but with heightened senses. He used Elemental Sight the moment Maya's voice registered in his mind and cleared a mile radius worth of land around him of Maya. "It appears that she may have successfully hacked into our residence."

"I do not do such cowardly acts, please do not disdain my reputation. To begin with, this residence is a property of the Yotsuba, it was never yours. Now proceed to the living room, I'm waiting for both of you." Maya's voice was as beautiful as ever, without any traces of anger whatsoever, yet it would make anyone's hair stand on ends. The hostility and fear that runs deep down the spine justify the fear that envelopes her.

Tatsuya looked at Miyuki for her set of orders, only to find her as clueless as he was. Without much of a debate, both of them went to the living room as they were told, as vigilant as ever.

"Now, I hope I gave both of you enough time to think about the complications of your decision to leave my clan. I assume that neither of you is radical enough to leave my clan for good."

"We are gone for good." It was Miyuki who gathered her courage to speak against Maya.

"I see that you have not come to your senses. Do you know what happens if you leave my clan? Both of you will lose everything. Without me, neither of you can hope to live with your identities concealed. Everything that the both of you do, be it the FLT or this very residence, will be taken away."

What Maya had said was a reality check for Miyuki. Ever since she defied Maya on that fateful day, she never stopped to plan her future. She never prepared for a day like this, where Maya would reclaim everything from her. She was driven to the corner and now she is on the brink of defeat. She would lose a war that had barely unfolded.

"I know you are here to strike a deal, please get on with it." Tatsuya had already seen through Maya, he was already all too familiar with her tricks.

"Sharp as ever, perhaps it is due to the fact that you came face to face with me more than you should have in the past few weeks." Maya could barely conceal her amazement of Tatsuya. "You are correct, get on with your mission and I might just spare both of you for now. We are running short of time, so I will so generously render you some assistance." Maya ended her transmission in her usual style with much ambiguity.

"What did she mean, Onii-" Miyuki trailed off when she saw how apathetic Tatsuya was to her words. Instead of even checking on Miyuki, Tatsuya opened the front door and picked up a package before going to his underground laboratory.

"Does Onii-sama hate me now? But that is impossible, he is programmed to love me and only me. Unless... unless that vixen Mayumi did something to him before I could confront her previously." The bitterness did not vanish after Miyuki banned Tatsuya from all forms of communication with Mayumi and incidents like this only served to raise it.

 **(Scene Change)**

"We have gathered here for a similar cause, we need to take action at this very instance. We cannot let them slip away once more, for your deceased comrades and for the greater good! TO THE END OF THE YOTSUBA!" Jiedo Heigu proclaimed, raising his beer bottle.

"TO THE END OF THE YOTSUBA!" They all chanted after him and chugged down the beer.

"Tomorrow is the decisive day, brace yourselves comrades. We shall celebrate with all our might once more after we finish the Yotsuba. Until then, let us prepare for this war." Jiedo Heigu ended the short but necessary celebration, retiring back to his study.

"They seem to have rather high morale considering how one-sided their brothers did previously." Zhou Gongjin said mockingly.

"It can be said that they did their due diligence, after all, they get all the battle information from their fellow deceased Parasites involuntarily. They probably already have drawn up a battle plan, but they might just be underestimating their enemies."

"Do you expect them to be wiped out then?" Zhou Gongjin said while handing over the Hliðskjálf to Jiedo Heigu.

"This is an all-out war, you cannot expect to win without sacrificial pawns." Jiedo Heigu concluded while putting on the Hliðskjálf. "Something is brewing. Perhaps the war will be a three-sided war, things are going to get fiery tomorrow." The search history he left behind on the Hliðskjálf was none other than "Shiba Tatsuya".

 **(Scene Change)**

'The water has been still. A stone will be thrown, ripples will crease the water. Twelve hours to the beginning, twelve more hours until tranquillity.' Disappointment at the least was what Tatsuya could feel. Not in the ambiguous information that he was given by Maya herself, but in himself for even having hopes for the information that Maya provided him with.

"If such a troubling week is the calm before the storm, how powerful will the storm be?" With a sigh, Tatsuya decided to call it a day. He would have to get up early to prepare for the upcoming storm. He emptied his cup of coffee, turning around just in time before Miyuki opened the door.

"Onii-sama, what did Oba-ue mention in her parcel?"

"We have twelve hours until war and a day to the end, but you didn't pop by just to ask me about this did you?"

"You have gotten too good at reading other people's intention, it's unbelievable Onii-sama." Not a tinge of sarcasm, instead Miyuki's voice was filled with amazement. "I just want to say that I am sorry if I came down too hard on you last week." Now, her voice was apologetic instead, but regret was absent and Tatsuya picked up on it.

"Please do not apologise to me, you cannot do that. However, if you do regret banning me from communicating with Mayumi-senpai, please revoke it. We will need her help come tomorrow."

"You don't even have to ask to know what my answer will be. I am sure that we will be able to handle it together, no matter how rough the battle may get."

"No, what we need is not firepower. Rather, we need manpower and the Saegusa family has them in abundance."

"Stop, stop with that nonsense. There is no way I am going to let you even see that vixen ever again. You still have no idea what she did to you, you are still in the dream bubble she created for you. You still cannot see how much harm she did towards you in that short period of time."

"Let us put off this conversation for another time Miyuki. For now, we need to prepare for the war ahead."

"Instead of putting it off, I will end it here and now. That vixen whose name disdains my mouth will be forgotten from both our lives. That stands, nothing will challenge it." Miyuki went down hard on Tatsuya yet again our of her emotional impulse. This time she swore will be the last time, but she fears that it might be one time too many.

 **(Scene Change)**

The sky of the dawn bedazzlingly, yet ominously looms. Jiedo Heigu and the Parasites have made their move, moving quietly in the shadows to their designated positions. Tatsuya and Miyuki are all suited up with their CAD ready for combat, now standing on the rooftop of the highest building in town, surveying for the enemies' first move.

The streets at this time still devoided of people and commuters made an eerie cry. Exactly twelve hours from the time Tatsuya read the parcel, the first blood of the war has been drawn.

"Onii-sama, did you hear that?"

"Of course, the scream came from just nearby, they are close. Who knows, we might even be their prime target."

"That certainly saves us a lot of trouble." Miyuki said with a smile which quickly dissipated, "they are here."

Sure enough, people started to surround the building both Tatsuya and Miyuki are at.

"They are Parasites, aren't they?" Tatsuya could not sense the presence of Parasites itself, he had to rely on Miyuki.

"They are. I will need to remove your limiter, or else I will not be able to use Cocytus on such a large area."

Psions immediately began to overflow from Tatsuya, the limiter has been instantaneously removed. Taking full advantage of the dazzling display of Tatsuya's psions, Miyuki immediately cast a large scale Cocytus.

"It is not going to work this time around, Miss Shiba Miyuki. Don't be so eager to destroy us, although it is not like you can." The Parasites mocked openly.

"Cocytus, the spell that trapped my comrades between the realms of life and death for eternity, is a magic that targets the brains. All we had to do this time around is to physically take control of the body instead of using the brain to control our host… Eeek! What is happening? Impossible!" The arrogance of the Parasites quickly turned into panic. They have studied both Miyuki and Tatsuya's magic thoroughly, determining counter-tactics to each of their magic.

"I have perfected Cocytus, to an unprecedented degree if you would allow me to say so. While it is absolutely true that the basis of Cocytus is Mental Interference, that is the ability to completely stop the functions of your brain by freezing it, I have practised the magic to allow me to freeze any part of your body at will. Don't you find it strange that you are able to retain the ability to speak if I froze your brain with Cocytus?" It was Miyuki with the last laugh, as she allowed herself to let out a smirk before silencing the Parasites. "They are done for, perhaps we can ask Mikihiko to do us the favour of sealing the Parasites again."

"It will take quite a bit of convincing, but given the circumstances, I guess we have no choice but to try." Tatsuya reasoned based on what happened the last time Mikihiko was tasked with sealing the Parasites.

 **(Scene Change)**

"They didn't even last for an hour it seems. What a waste." Zhou Gongjin said with a sigh.

"I did hope that they will bother the Shiba siblings for a while longer, from the looks of it we will need to start the second phase earlier than expected." Jiedo Heigu was not faltered. After all, he came with a decade worth of preparation.

"Reinforcements will come early as well if we proceed with the second phase so early, should we not at least hold off until we are forced to?"

"They are likely already on our heels, what is there to wait? In any case, we must quicken our pace." Jiedo Heigu quickly waved off Zhou Gongjin's advice and immediately activated his magic.

Unlike most magicians, Jiedo Heigu's strengths do not lie in direct confrontations. His has no magic at his disposal that can aid him in direct confrontations, neither does he have the physical prowess to make up for the lack of it. His magic trumps in controlling and manipulating life forces, meaning he is better suited for being the puppet master who hides behind a screen. Much like Tatsuya, this powerful magic has dominated most of his Mental Calculation Area, making him a Born Specialised magician. Throughout his stay in Japan for the past few weeks, he had used the Parasites as a distraction for his preparations. It is safe to assume that most of the deaths in the past few weeks are not caused by the Parasites, rather it is caused by Zhou Gongjin and Jiedo Heigu in order to prepare enough corpses for this war. Scattered all around the Tokyo area, Jiedo Heigu can then use his Zombification magic to raise an army of undead. To top that, Jiedo Heigu has also used the No Head Dragon syndicate as well as the remnants of Blanche to create Generators. The size of his army is unprecedented, the damage will be catastrophic.

However, it is not without trade-offs. Although he would like to avoid being in the front lines for the duration of this war, the sheer number of troops he has to use his magic on has severely limited his range of control, shortening it from a radius of ten kilometres to a mere five, half of the entire Tokyo. This resulted in Jiedo Heigu having to constantly move all around Tokyo in order to activate his magic.

Jiedo Heigu's activation of Zombification immediately created chaos. The casualty rate skyrocketed in a matter of minutes. The entire Tokyo is officially a war zone, involving not only Tatsuya and Miyuki but other innocent magicians and non-magicians likewise. Despite his army's overwhelming success initially, Jiedo Heigu himself was not an optimist. He estimated that the Ten Master Clan will take action and clear up the mess before the end of the day. That was all the time he gave himself, it is also the full duration of the war.

 **(Scene Change)**

Their terminals began blaring all of a sudden during curriculum times. This was not alarm was no stranger to both Mayumi and Katsuto, it was the alarm that is automatically sent to every Ten Master Clan member when there is an emergency. 'It was about time' Mayumi thought to herself. As serene as First High School was, it cannot mask the fact that the entire area surrounding it was in utter chaos.

"It would be best if we ascertain the current situation that we are in before we head out of First High, or else we might be caught in the crossfire." Katsuto reasoned and Mayumi complied.

As if on cue, Saegusa Koichi's name appeared on Mayumi's terminal and Mayumi picked up the call, turning it on speaker mode so Katsuto can tune in as well.

"Good morning my dear daughter, I am sure that you are still unaware of the situation outside of First High so I will give you a brief update. I would like to believe that Juumonji-san is by your side, but correct me if I am wrong" Koichi's voice was lively even this dire situation, yet the urgency behind his words is without a doubt present.

"He is present by my side, please give us the update." Mayumi did not even ask how his father knew, partly due to the situation but mainly because she gave up asking every time.

"It would seem that we have a zombie apocalypse as well as a few Generators on the loose," Koichi said.

"Zombie apocalypse? By that, do you mean the undead?" Mayumi could not imagine such a fantasy happening in real life.

"Yes, the only possible explanation we have as of now is that there is a magician controlling the corpse. As to what magic exactly is unknown, but it is without a doubt forbidden. For now, the Ten Master Clan has been tasked with neutralising the undead and Generators, but the priority goes to ensuring the safety of civilians. As for Juumonji-san, I hope that the Saegusa will have the cooperation of the Juumonji Clan."

"Without a doubt, Saegusa-dono." Katsuto was speaking as the acting representative of the Juumonji clan, something that his father entrusted him with.

"Father, could you send some people to First High?" Mayumi was concerned about the safety of the students who are still somewhat oblivious to the happenings outside of the school.

"That goes without question, the Principal will likely issue a lockdown situation very soon. Meanwhile, try to get yourself out of there safely. If need be, I can send helicopters your way." Koichi ended the call, rubbing his temples furiously. If this incident gets out of hand, it will forever be a stain on the reputation of the Saegusa clan for their inability to protect their own territory.

Before Mayumi could move out, she was working on her terminal again. This time, she sent another text to Tatsuya. She had found it weird that Tatsuya has not been contactable by anyone for the past week and even outright skipping school. It may have been related to the current happenings, but it seemed too coincidental for Tatsuya to be cut off from the rest of the world right after her encounter with Miyuki. It would seem to Mayumi that Miyuki is still extremely influential to Tatsuya.

 **(Scene Change)**

"What do we do, Onii-sama?" Miyuki asked Tatsuya. They are stopped dead in their tracks. So far, they have ascertained that the people they are fighting against are dead and being controlled by magic. As to what magic it is and who is behind them, Tatsuya came to a logical conclusion that it was all the doings of Jiedo Heigu. He had already used his Elemental Sight to do a quick sweep, confirming that most of Tokyo are under siege with casualties increasing by the second.

"We are forced to choose between fighting Jiedo Heigu and defending Tokyo. On one hand, if we defeat Jiedo Heigu, the zombies should immediately stop functioning. However, by the time we kill him, there is no guarantee that Tokyo will not already be razed." Tatsuya thought out loud. It was a tough choice to make, although he knew that the Saegusa and Juumonji clan is sure to react, he is sure that even they will not be sufficient to curb the current situation. With casualty rates reaching the hundreds in less than an hour, Tokyo will be gone within a day. However, Tatsuya does not understand the reasoning behind Jiedo Heigu's plans. If his intentions are to destroy the Yotsuba, why does he not target the Kanto area instead? After all, it is the area that the Yotsuba has jurisdiction over. "We have to defend Tokyo, at least for now. We cannot allow Jiedo Heigu to lay waste to Tokyo. Moreover, if the works of his magic are still in Tokyo, it is likely that he is present in Tokyo as well." Tatsuya did not have the luxury of time to ponder any longer and made a decisive decision.

The zombies and even the Generators are nothing but flies to both Miyuki and Tatsuya given their abilities as magicians, but fighting in an urban setting is challenging. It made even Miyuki and Tatsuya struggle a little as they try to mitigate the damage done to civilian buildings and innocent passer-by. They were quick to realise that the targets of the zombies and Generators were not the same as the Parasites. Their targets were not Tatsuya or Miyuki but the general public, aiming to cause as much destruction as possible.

"It would be much easier if they actually tried to fight us, instead of making Onii-sama and I chase them around," Miyuki muttered under her breath, visibly annoyed by Jiedo Heigu's unethical usage of magic. Needless to say, Miyuki was massacring the enemies. She could deal with them more efficiently, but she kept her magic in check, careful to not cause innocent civilians any harm.

Tatsuya, on the other hand, opted to incorporate some Ninjutsu rather than solely depending on Mist Dispersion to avoid sending civilians witnesses into trauma. He indeed felt that it the zombies and Generators were troublesome and annoying to deal with, especially when he needed to hold back, but he was trained to have the resilience to do even menial tasks.

"This won't do, Miyuki. We will need assistance, both of us cannot hope to contain this mess in time. At this rate, if the war truly ends by dusk, we will be on the losing end." Tatsuya realises that the situation is getting dire and what they lack in very severely is manpower.

Miyuki bit her lips upon hearing that. She knew that she couldn't ask Maya to send her assistance, not in normal circumstances and even more so now that she had gone against Maya. The only assistance they could possibly get is the help of the Saegusa and Juumonji clans protecting this area, but that would definitely mean that Tatsuya will see Mayumi again.

"Miyuki?" That was definitely the first time Tatsuya had seen Miyuki space out in the midst of a battle, a rookie mistake that he thought she will ever commit in her life.

"Ah, sorry Onii-sama. I do not think that we will require any assistance, given our pace we definitely can clear them out."

"Whether we request assistance from Juumonji and Saegusa clan does not matter, since they will respond to this situation, but working with them will greatly boost our efficiency. Not to mention that we still have Jiedo Heigu to hunt down, although we know that he is in the vicinity but we have yet to pinpoint his exact location." Tatsuya's reasoning was logical, yet he felt that Miyuki's emotions will get in the way when she tries to make the correct judgement. Yet he also felt that for the first time, his emotions played a role in making decisions. Just the glimpse of hope to meet Mayumi made him excited.

"Let us not start this all over again, we will operate independently from them." Miyuki was adamant as Tatsuya had expected, but there isn't much Tatsuya could do at this point to change Miyuki's mind. It would not take a genius to figure out that having an argument, especially a heated one, in the middle of a battle will be catastrophic.

'As stubborn and adamant as you are to prevent me from meeting her, she is already on her way here. I guess it wouldn't take long.' Using Element Sight, Tatsuya had already confirmed the locations of prominent allies apart from Miyuki. Of the list, only Katsuto and Mayumi are currently active in the battle, but Tatsuya expects the number to increase sooner than later. He has faith in the recklessness of his classmates.

Rather familiar magic rained down on the Generator in front of Miyuki. She secretly cursed under her breath as she saw Mayumi standing atop the building opposite her.

"Tatsuya-kun, Miyuki-san, it's been a while hasn't it?"

"Now isn't exactly the time to talk, Mayumi-senpai." Since freezing enemies is second nature to Miyuki, casting such magic still left her with enough concentration to attempt to shut Mayumi up.

"Alright, so let me cut the chase. As a representative of the Saegusa clan, I hope that we can enlist the assistance from both of you." Unlike her usual self, Mayumi was being strictly diplomatic. Even Miyuki had picked up on that and related it to the situation.

"Could you update us?" Tatsuya requested.

"So far we have confirmed that all the this is the result of Necromancy and since Generators are involved we wouldn't be surprised if the remnants of No Head Dragon is involved. Casualty rates have reached the thousands already, with the more populated areas such as Yokohama being hit the hardest." Mayumi reported rather solemnly.

Tatsuya took a long look at Miyuki, hoping that she would place the urgency of this situation over personal affairs. The fate of Tokyo lies with her decision.

Miyuki felt the pressure mounting and ultimately gave in. Her consent meant everything, not only to Tatsuya but to Mayumi as well.

"Katsuto-kun is currently overseeing the joint forces to facilitate civilians moving to shelters. I'm sure they will be able to hold out at least for the rest of the day, let us use this time to kill the mastermind to end this nightmare." Mayumi suggested a rather bold strategy.

"It is a risky move since we have no clue where to start." Miyuki did not want to form a detached squad with Mayumi. Just accepting Mayumi's offer was bad enough, needless to say, fighting alongside her in a detached squad is unacceptable. Given the situation, she decided that it would be best if she sucked it up since she did not want to be seen as a tyrant by her brother.

"Since it is such an aggressive move, the risk would be high as well. But we can all agree that it is the best solution we have right now, after all, I am sure that both of you have realised that the numbers of the enemies don't seem to die down no matter how much we kill." Tatsuya concurred.

"This is where I will need your help, Tatsuya. You are the only other magician other than myself I know that has Sensory-type magic. We should hunt around the city." Mayumi reasoned.

"That would not be necessary." Tatsuya calmly said, before activating Elemental Sight. Since the undead is part of the magic, there has to be a magic sequence controlling it and Tatsuya is taking advantage of that to track where the magic is coming from. Diving straight into the Information Dimension, he concentrated on tracking the magic all the way back to its user. All of a sudden, the connection was cut off and the corpse lies lifelessly on the ground. Determined to hunt down the mastermind and his main target Jiedo Heigu, he begun using Elemental Sight on multiple enemies in the vicinity but it was to no avail. All the enemies in the vicinity instantly became lifeless corpses.

"I cannot pinpoint his location, but he is definitely to the south of us." Although the connection was cut off halfway, it was more than enough time for Tatsuya to find out the general direction of Jiedo Heigu. He even had the opportunity to confirm it while he tried to trace the Jiedo Heigu's magic using other zombies.

 **(Scene Change)**

"You are late." Jiedo Heigu reprimanded, In accordance with the schedule, Zhou Gongjin was not late, in fact, he was ahead of time. However, the situation has changed and even Jiedo Heigu had to admit that it was becoming rather challenging.

"My apologies, Lord. I brought back a few magician corpses as you have ordered for you to choose from." Although he knew that he was in fact not late, he did not argue. To him, the words of Jiedo Heigu is absolute.

"Turning them into Magic Sequence Generators will take a longer time than usual so cover me. A magician has already tried to trace my magic, I believe it is that Shiba Tatsuya. If he comes ahead of time, eliminate him at all cost." With happenings that are beyond his extensive calculations, Jiedo Heigu has become rather paranoid, especially with Tatsuya since he was always the one to exceed his calculations.

"Yes, my Lord."

"While you are at it, prepare for the final phase. That is truly what matters the most." Jiedo Heigu said with a smirk. The final phase of his glorious plan he spent a decade planning and preparing for. The only error in the plan was his inability to take into account Tatsuya's strength, but he was determined to not let Tatsuya foil his conquest. 'This is it, Yotsuba Maya.'


	13. Yotsuba Crisis Arc 7

She had not moved an inch from her seat since dawn, eyes fixated on the screen showing the happenings of the world outside. Her information came from various sources but are without a doubt accurate. As the leader of the arguably most powerful clan in the world, she had her ways to tap into the communications of almost any system. Maya sat majestically at her seat, sipping her cup of tea as usual. The only thing amiss is the look in her eyes. Hatred and vengeance infested her gaze. It seems that after more than a decade, the time has finally come for her to put an end to her personal war. A long-overdue closure that is. As she viewed information that Jiedo Heigu is finally making his way towards Yotsuba's territory, she quivers in excitement. It has been such a long time since she had been so worked up.

"Hayama," Maya called out as she stood up from her chair. It was time for her to personally put an end to this ridiculously dragged out war, but it was perhaps just an excuse to remind the world once again of who she was. The Queen of the Night, the Demon King of the Far East, the most powerful and ruthless magician in the world.

Hayama entered the room with his head bowed, ready to execute Maya's orders to his fullest abilities.

"I will be putting an end to him personally, make the necessary preparations." In reality, there were not many preparations to be made. Her CAD does not need to be prepared since she uses Flash Cast and she does not bother to wear any sort of protective suit since she finds them completely unnecessary. The only true preparation that needs to be made is to inform the clan of her actions and send escorts as customary since all the escorts do is look.

 **(Scene Change)**

Magic sequences whizzed recklessly through the air as the enemy forces have gotten stronger yet again.

"Parasites?" Tatsuya was honestly surprised when he first detected enemy magic sequences. This was bad news, especially for the detached team he had formed. Even though they were handling opponents that were weak, the enemy had strength in numbers. After battling for an entire morning, fatigue has gotten to all three of them.

"Tatsuya-kun, that was not from a Parasite. The source has a similar signature to the undead that we are fighting." Mayumi had already used her Multi-scope to survey the battlefield once more.

As if on cue, an undead exploded and splattered organs all across the ground. One by one, the undead exploded, with only a few surviving the purge. It was conclusive that the explosion was not caused by allied forces by Jiedo Heigu. His magic could somehow transform lifeform into power for the undead to wield magic momentarily before self-destructing. It was without a doubt the most inhumane magic ever used.

"Unforgivable," Miyuki muttered under her breathe, freezing all the enemies within a hundred-metre radius. She could not hold back any longer, not after seeing such horrific magic. She could not allow any more people to fall victim to Jiedo Heigu's magic.

Mayumi was for the first time on the same page as Miyuki. Although she was still clueless in regards to who the mastermind was, she did feel that such magic is extremely unethical and inhumane. Whatever the cost may be, she felt responsible to stop it at once.

Tatsuya could only sigh in response. The probability that this was a trap by Jiedo Heigu to envoke such emotions was high. It would definitely be unwise for either one of them to continue fighting at such a rate since they were all plagued with fatigue but it would be hard for Tatsuya alone to stop either Miyuki or Mayumi from continuing now.

"Tatsuya-kun, is it possible for you to pinpoint the location of the mastermind at this point in time?" Mayumi's eyes held an immense intensity and determination fuelled purely by her righteousness.

Tatsuya decided that even trying to convince them to stop fighting at this point was futile after what Mayumi said. Complying with Mayumi, he used Elemental Sight to trace the magic back to its origin. This time, however, the magic was not cut off halfway, allowing Tatsuya to obtain the exact coordinates of the magician. However, Tatsuya felt that something was amiss. It was all too easy for him to locate the magician, there was no resistance whatsoever.

"Something is up, we have to be vigilant. I have pinpointed the location of the magician but I'm sure it is some sort of trap." Tatsuya pointed south as he spoke.

"As if we weren't already vigilant, Tatsuya-kun. Let's go already." The playfulness in Mayumi returned, poking fun at Tatsuya's concerns. It earned her an ever-so-slight grin from Tatsuya and a scoff from Miyuki, nothing unusual at this point.

 **(Scene Change)**

Jiedo Heigu and Zhou Gongjin advanced quickly towards the Yotsuba main residence, with a few elite undead following them along. It was no easy feat for them to locate the Yotsuba main residence, but after a decade of planning it would be pitiful if they could not even do so much.

"Master, can I have a word?" Zhou Gongjin asked politely as they hopped from a rooftop to another.

"Hmm?" Jiedo Heigu raised one of his eyebrows, questioning what Zhou Gongjin still wanted to say as he slowed his pace to match his subordinate. He did not give permission, but neither did he stop Zhou Gongjin so Zhou Gongjin when on with it anyway.

"It has been truly my honour to fight under you and die for you."

Jiedo Heigu simply closed his eyes and acknowledged his most trusted and outstanding subordinate, pointed his finger at him and converted him into an undead soundlessly. It was his final farewell and what seemed to him as the most honourable way of death.

Zhou Gongjin was the only person he trusted after the destruction of Dahan. He was the brightest, strongest and most dedicated amongst every other pupil. As time went by, he soon became the only pupil left and became Jiedo Heigu's one and only righthand man. Letting him go is a pain but Jiedo Heigu deemed it as necessary. He would not have a shot at topping the Queen of the Night if he had not done so.

"It is about time." He was nearing the Yotsuba Residence, even if he could not see it through the barrier, he could feel it. It was not magic but instinct, raw instinct.

 **(Scene Change)**

Tatsuya, Mayumi and Miyuki certainly had their hands full. As they tried to advance to the source of the enemies' magic, the density of enemies seemed to increase. As the effects of fatigue starting to kick in, the trio's combat ability fell drastically. Overusing magic has dire consequences that even Tatsuya will have trouble reverting and they will definitely be bothered by it sooner than later.

Tatsuya was well aware of the current situation that they are in better than both Miyuki and Mayumi. The more he is drained of his Psion from the extensive use of magic, the more he would lose control over his innate magic. It was similar to how Miyuki would occasionally lose control of her magic while she was sealing Tatsuya's powers. Currently, his Elemental Sight forced him to involuntarily see all forms of information including the information of even Mayumi and Miyuki. He had made a mental note to cover them and lighten their combat load as their stamina continued to dwindle sorrowfully to a dangerously low level.

Fuelled perhaps by adrenaline, determination or maybe competition with Miyuki, Mayumi did not feel as exhausted as she should be. She was still actively wielding her magic, not holding back even for a moment. She was obliterating every enemy in her sight, yet the numbers do not diminish even a bit.

Miyuki, on the other hand, was absolutely determined to outdo Mayumi in order to convince Tatsuya that she was a better fit for him to execute future missions. However, she was not blinded by her desire and remembered to pace herself, yet she has come to a point where even pacing does little to help. But she will not give in, not when Mayumi was still going at full force. Even when she was relentlessly freezing waves of enemies, the number of enemies simply does not diminish.

"Miyuki, Mayumi-senpai, we have to stop here and now. We won't be able to make it, not in our current condition." Tatsuya had already assessed the current situation, crunched some numbers in his head and came to a conclusion that it would not be possible for them, in their current conditions to even get close to killing off the source.

"No!" Both Mayumi and Miyuki chimed in at the same time, leaving a bitter taste in both of them.

The competitive spirit of both of them was too strong, driven even further by the sense of righteousness to protect the civilians.

"At this rate, none of us—" Tatsuya was cut off abruptly when out of thin air a magic sequence materialised, catching all of them off guard whilst they were having their conversation. Even before they had a chance to react, it pierced right through Mayumi's abdomen. Blood splattered out furiously as Mayumi fell to the ground, her face turning pale rather quickly.

Tatsuya snapped, immediately using Regrowth on Mayumi. Tapping on his ever-decreasing reservoir of Psion, he used Flash Cast to Material Burst a single atom in the air, causing an explosion that was still huge enough to create collapse nearby buildings. Half the enemies were wiped out immediately. Following which he lifted Mayumi up bridal style, whispered into her ears and took her right past Miyuki into the ruins of the building.

It may have been her second time experiencing it, but Mayumi was still consternated by Tatsuya's Regrowth. It worked like magic(pun intended), yet there was not a trick to it. She had not even been able to recover from her consternation to hear what Tatsuya had whispered in her ears, but she was glad. She was glad that Tatsuya saved her, she was even happier when Tatsuya whispered in her ears and took her straight past Miyuki. At that moment, she felt as if she was the centre of Tatsuya's world. That Tatsuya's world revolved around her, even if it was just for a moment. The attention and affection Tatsuya gave her were intoxicating, almost like a drug to her.

A quick "thank you" was all Mayumi could say as Tatsuya lowered her to the ground gently before going right back to the battlefield.

Even for Tatsuya, using Strategic Class magic even on the smallest scale drained him tremendously. More than ever he needed to end the battle immediately and preferably individually. He did not want to face Miyuki right now, not in the middle of a battle.

He evaluated his options and it boiled down to two. Using Mist Dispersion in quick succession or firing another Material Burst. Keeping in mind that Material Burst was a highly classified Strategic Class magic and that he had already violated his sworn promise of secrecy with his initial outburst, he decided to stick to Mist Dispersion.

Using Flash Cast, Tatsuya was able to use Mist Dispersion in quick succession. Combine it with the swiftness he had acquired through Ninjutsu, he zoomed around and bodies disappeared in quick succession. It did not take long before he wiped out the remaining undead, but he could tell that more was coming. With fatigue almost catching up to them, they had no choice but to retreat.

Disappearing from her line of sight in a flash, Miyuki barely caught Tatsuya going back to pick up Mayumi from the building. By this time Miyuki had enough time to fully process and comprehend what was going on. Needless to say, she was infuriated.

"We are getting out of here, Miyuki," Tatsuya said as he carried Mayumi bridal style past Miyuki once again, this time away from the battle. He made it sound more like an order than a request but it did not bother him one bit. He did not want to start another petty fight with Miyuki right in the middle of this battle, it would be courting death.

"Wha-." In a single leap, Tatsuya took off along with Mayumi before Miyuki could even start her rant. This left Miyuki with not much of a choice, following her brother while she tried to keep her rage under control to prevent levelling the whole city.

 **(Scene Change)**

Just minutes past before Jiedo Heigu was enveloped in pure darkness. Halting immediately, he barely saw a human figure he assumed as Maya.

"I would give you credit for not running with your tail between your legs by now." The voice of Maya was ever so threatening yet mesmerising. It would have sent chills and shivers down anybody's spine, but not Jiedo Heigu. His fear was replaced by determination and vengeance.

"Hmm, so you killed even your righthand man. Was it to toughen yourself up emotionally or are you just afraid that he would be a burden in this battle?" Maya was exposing Jiedo Heigu bit by bit. She knew that she was correct, she could tell that Jiedo Heigu was getting increasingly tensed up the more she spoke although he was trying his very best to hide it.

"You came here knowing that your life will be taken, wouldn't you? You didn't plan to kill me, you planned to tarnish the name of my clan. That is what you are after, aren't you? That was the best you thought you could do since you had no chance of winning against me."

"…" He still chose to keep silent, but deep down he knew that he had already been outsmarted. He knew that a decade's worth of planning and sacrifice has gone to waste. He has failed his final, most important mission and he was about to pay for it. Still, he could not bring himself to surrender. Still, he was determined to fight it out till the end. Still, he was struggling to find a glimpse of hope. He would not go down without a fight.

"Admirable, truly admirable. You have yet to give up on your will and I must credit you for that. But if you think I will give you a warrior's death, then you should really consider running." Maya had concluded that everything she had seen through and accurately exposed every single part of Jiedo Heigu's plan. She now knows everything, all she has to do now is to dispose of him.

A period of silence followed. Maya, in light of Jiedo Heigu's bravery, decided to give the advantage of making the first move to Jiedo Heigu. He, however, was trying as best as he can to survey Maya for her weakness. It was obviously to no avail since he could barely even locate her in the pitch blackness created by her Night.

Just as Maya was getting impatient, Jiedo Heigu made his first move. He hurled the undead towards her way, but it missed Maya entirely.

Feeling extra savage, Maya decided to toy around with Jiedo Heigu. She started off by destroying every undead except for Zhou Gongjin instantaneously even before Jiedo Heigu could react. Following which she stood totally still, taunting Jiedo Heigu to make his next move.

The difference in strength is evident, even bigger than what Jiedo Heigu had expected. He thought he could at least bother Maya a little more, but right now his powers are nothing more than a fly compared to Maya. A tinge of regret seeped into his resolve but he has yet to give up. He made Zhou Gongjin his body shield as he began his incarnation, hoping that the arrogance of Maya would blind her from stopping him.

"You take me for a fool?" Maya was beyond surprised at the stupidity of Jiedo Heigu. In terms of direct combat, it was true that Maya was a thousand years more superior to Jiedo Heigu. But nevertheless, Jiedo Heigu was an incredibly proficient Ancient magician, allowing him to incarnate a strong ancient magic could mean trouble even for Maya.

Maya simply used a ray of light to pierce a hole through Zhou Gongjin's leg and ultimately Jiedo Heigu's arm, stopping him from incarnating entirely. His actions made Maya seriously annoyed. She had thought that he would be at least a little more prepared than he is.

"Is that all that you have got?" Maya taunted after Jiedo Heigu finally initialised the pain in his arm, now screaming.

Fuelled entirely by resolve and determination, Jiedo Heigu has not given up yet. It had barely been five minutes since the battle started, he knew he still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve that could possibly harm Maya. He started to run in a circle around Maya, throwing several low-level magic at Maya while incarnating stronger ones. It was to little avail. He was forced to stop his incarnation time and time again by Maya who was unaffected by the weak magic he threw at her. But he did not give up, for he had already expected this to happen. He continued to push himself, using his resolve and determination as a painkiller for his wounds.

As much as he wanted to continue fighting, he knew his end was near. Constantly running around while throwing and incarnating magic leeched him of his stamina. He was at his physical limit. No amount of resolve or determination could fuel him any longer. In accordance with his tradition in Dahan, he chose death before dishonour.

With one final incarnation, he decided to end himself.

Much to his despair, Maya would not let him have his way. Using Zone Interference, Maya was able to exude enough power to force Jiedo Heigu to his knees and stopping him from using any form of magic.

"Playtime is over it seems, not having much fun, are you?" Maya said with a smirk. "You really think I would let you die? You make an excellent research specimen. Your magic that is." She would not let such a unique opportunity to escape from her. Jiedo Heigu's magic may be inhumane, but it was definitely one of a kind.

"I would be surprised if you still had time to dissect me after today. I may have lost a battle, but I certainly did not lose the war." Everything, right down to his capture, was calculated and accounted for in his plan. It was not perfect and there were several key miscalculations, but in the end, it still turned out the way he wanted it to. His duty was done, he had already won.

Maya knew enough of his intricate plan to understand what he was driving at. What frustrated her the most was the fact that she could not do anything to prevent it. No matter the circumstance, Jiedo Heigu would still be the victor in the end. There was no way for her to take any sort of precaution or to mitigate the damage. His plan was impeccable.

With a clenched fist, Maya blinded Jiedo Heigu with her magic, knocking him unconscious. The henchman of the Kuroba family quickly appeared to bring the bodies back to the research lab. Jiedo Heigu is done for, but the repercussion lives on.

 **(Scene Change)**

Along with Jiedo Heigu's death, his army died along with him. The city fell to an eerie, tranquil silence. It did not take long for buzz all over the city to start. Rescue works now in full swing, fires slowly but surely being put out. Civilians and magicians, crying over their lost ones alike. The damage done is catastrophic, some unable to be measured.

As he journeyed straight for the Saegusa Residence with Mayumi in his hand, he could not help but notice that all the undead ceased to exist. The atmosphere lightened, animosity and bloodlust that plagued the city subsided. It was to his relief, he would not have known what to do if the war had not ended by now.

"The war has ended, Tatsuya-kun." Mayumi's red eyes met Tatsuya's blue eyes. It was the first time in a long while both of them spent time together, but circumstances forced them to spend it on the move.

"So it would seem, it was rough wasn't it." Tatsuya looked up, choosing to stare straight ahead instead. He knew what questions are going to come out of Mayumi and he was not in a position to answer them. He could only avoid them.

"You have a lot of secrets, Tatsuya. I have come to accept that, so I won't ask you anything. But look at me, won't you?"

Tatsuya was caught off guard. Not only by Mayumi's response but also the sincerity of her words. The fact that he was accepted as who he was, although he still had much of his identity shrouded in darkness. With her words reaching the depths of his heart, Tatsuya decided to fulfil Mayumi's request. He gazed straight into Mayumi's eyes silently, using his Elemental Sight to navigate instead.

"Th-Thanks for today, that makes it the second time you revived me." All of a sudden with Tatsuya looking right into her eyes Mayumi became nervous.

In response, Tatsuya merely raised one of his eyebrows. He knew her agenda was not as simple as a word of gratitude, she has not said what she had intended to say.

"You jerk, you know that I am nervous, don't raise your eyebrow on me, at least say something!" Mayumi flared up in a teasing manner, breaking out of character and chuckled straight after. Her efforts did earn her a little smile from Tatsuya which to her was more than enough.

"From the looks of it, we aren't going to see eat other for quite some time after this, am I right?"

"I'm doubtful that I will attend school," Tatsuya confirmed Mayumi's suspicion.

Mayumi lowered her head involuntarily, her lips forming an unwarranted frown. "Before you leave me again, I just want to say that I…" Her lips quivered, she squeezed her eyes shut to fight back the tears.

Tatsuya once again chose to remain silent as he waited for Mayumi to recover emotionally.

Taking Tatsuya by complete surprise again, instead of finish the sentence after she had opened her eyes again, Mayumi mustered her courage and sprang up from Tatsuya's arms to give him a kiss on his cheeks.

Tatsuya did not respond to Mayumi's kiss. He did not accept it, he was in no position to. At the same time, he did not reject it, he would be lying if he said he did not want it. He just chose to look back up towards the sunset instead of Mayumi.

Mayumi's own cheeks were burning hot after what she did. She was thankful to Tatsuya, not only for not rejecting her but also looking away right after. She was spared from embarrassment as a consequence. Now she just snuggled in Tatsuya's arms, hiding her face.

"Anything else?" Tatsuya looked down, trying to find the gaze of Mayumi.

"You are so demanding, what else do you want?" Mayumi could not stand being teased by Tatsuya, her cheeks were still burning from embarrassment.

"Your house is in sight and it will be sometime before we see each other again, so do you have any parting words?" Tatsuya stated it in a matter of fact tone.

"Meet me sometime soon, okay? It doesn't have to be at school or at my house, it can be anywhere." Mayumi raised her head to meet Tatsuya's gaze, giving him a wink.

All Tatsuya could give her in return was a bitter smile, but it was all Mayumi needed to know. She could not say that she understood the reasons Tatsuya had, but she is sure that Tatsuya would meet her if he could. The smile confirmed it, she was sure.

Tatsuya's luck ran out as he was greeted by Saegusa Koichi himself at the back door of the Saegusa Residence. Miyuki, finally catching up to Tatsuya, was forced to put on a façade in front of Koichi.

It was a rather awkward exchange, but it was expected. Tatsuya owed Koichi a mountain of explanation, but it was impossible for him to explain it to Koichi without shedding light on his identity. This very naturally resulted in the most awkward encounters one could ever get. It took Tatsuya a great deal of skill to dodge all the questions Koichi threw at him but he pulled it off after all.

At the end of it all, as Mayumi and Koichi bid Tatsuya and Miyuki farewell, Tatsuya could not help but sigh inwardly. The war has yet to end for him and it continues for him the moment he reaches home.

 **(Scene Change)**

Mayumi quickly excused herself to her room right after Tatsuya had left. She was not in the mood to entertain her father's questions, her heart already aches for Tatsuya. As she closed the door behind her, she went straight for the shower. Even the shower failed to hide her tears.

Koichi could tell that his daughter had been through too much in a day. In fact, he noticed that his daughter has not been like herself for the past week leading up, which coincides with the absence of Tatsuya. 'Youths give their hearts away too willingly, but that is what it means to be young isn't it?' He thought inwardly as he went into his study to hear out the report from Nakura.

The report was mundane as usual although it was concise. The only part he looked forward to was the report on Tatsuya. He took full use of the opportunity today and ordered Nakura to follow Tatsuya once more to see him at full strength without holding back. As he went into a bubble of his own, he tuned out whatever Nakura said until he heard the magic word 'Tatsuya'.

"What? Repeat that again for me." Koichi did not quite catch it, or rather he did not quite believe what he had heard, looking at Nakura doubtfully.

"That boy Tatsuya-san has the powers of the rumoured Mahesvara, or perhaps he is Mahesvara himself," Nakura repeated himself for the disbelief Koichi.

"Do you have concrete evidence?" Koichi was beyond euphoric. He had hit the jackpot, it was going to be a pivotal point in not only his investigation but for his entire clan. He instantly came up with hundreds of scenarios that could possibly happen when he acquires Tatsuya for his clan. The power he will have under his command would definitely put the Saegusa clan above the Yotsuba. He might even be immortal with the help of Tatsuya.

To Koichi's question, Nakura used his terminal to display footage of Tatsuya saving Mayumi with his Regrowth and obliterating the enemies with Mist Dispersion and Material Burst. It was concrete evidence to back up his claim and it set off Koichi, making him laugh triumphantly like a lunatic.

 **(Scene Change)**

"Onii-sama, you have gotten back your emotions haven't you?" Miyuki's voice was hollow, the first Tatsuya has witnessed.

"Gradually, yes."

Miyuki stared at Tatsuya intensely as he replied, holding back tears. Her beautiful face creased and her quivering lips formed a frown. Mayumi accomplished what she wanted to do personally for Tatsuya. She had to bitterly admit that Mayumi's impact on Tatsuya had already transcended the realm of magic and needless to say her abilities. She has already lost to Mayumi.

As the first tear began to fall loose, Miyuki abruptly ran into her room. Closing the door behind her, she fell on to the floor. A stream of tears gushed down her cheeks.

She could not help but to constantly think of how much happier her brother actually was around Mayumi than herself. When he did not stop Mayumi from kissing him. When Mayumi gave Tatsuya emotions. When Tatsuya reacted to Mayumi's injury the same as he did during the Okinawa incident. It as clear as day to her that her brother prefers Mayumi to herself, she just did not want to hand Tatsuya over. She did not want to admit defeat, but she was running out of options.

Tatsuya went back to his room as well. Today was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster for him, he knew that everyone went through much more than they should have. He also sympathised that Miyuki had the worst of it. She had suffered since a week ago and today was the biggest blow to her.

As Tatsuya lied on his bed, he could not help but be reflective. He should be by Miyuki's side, comforting her as her brother, yet he could not do so. He should be by Mayumi's side as well, making sure that she is all fine and well, but he could not do so as well.

"What a failure I am, trying to keep both led me to have none in the end," Tatsuya said with a heavy heart. He really wished he could fix his heart with his Regrowth, it was in such a turmoil.

 **(Scene Change)**

"Maya-sama, what should we start with on Jiedo Heigu?" Hayama asked.

"Seal them up completely, but of course make sure that they are not damaged." Maya rubbed her temples as she was once again seated in her throne-like seat.

"Understood. Moving forward, what are your plans to deal with the upcoming conflicts, if I may ask." Hayama understood that Maya had other agendas on hand so she will not be able to allocate any resources into experimenting Jiedo Heigu.

"It will be troublesome indeed, I have yet to have any plans. I knew this was coming, but I couldn't prepare for it. It looks like Jiedo Heigu did win this one." It was not easy for Maya to admit defeat, but she had to give credit where credit was due. The war they fought today was just the appetiser, now it is the beginning of the end.


	14. Conflict Arc 1

**A/N This marks the start of a new arc, possibly the final one! Enjoy! I will try my best to update once a week or two, so stay tuned!**

 ***Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI***

* * *

Mayumi's could not help but sigh. It was her tenth in just under an hour. Her entrance examinations are right around the corner, three days to be exact, but she has yet to be prepared. The time she had set aside to study was not productive at all. She was not mentally focussed enough to study. Her mind had been all over the place ever since she shared the kiss with Tatsuya.

"Arghhh, at this rate I really will not be able to make it into the National Magic University." Mayumi's hand abraded her face, making her eyes all droopy. She was, however, not warranted of her worries. Although she did not have much time to prepare prior and even when she had, she could barely study, she was still far more skilled and knowledgeable than an average magician who wishes to enrol in the National Magic University. Hence, it is safe to conclude that it is impossible for her to not make the cut.

"Ah, don't ruin your beautiful face like that."

"Please at least knock on the door before you come in, father. It was you who taught me that." Mayumi expressed with much annoyance.

"You were too lost in your own world, you made me wait five minutes outside your door after I knocked. Don't forget what I taught you along with knocking on the door."

"Responding to the person who knocks the door. Yes, father, it is my mistake." Mayumi raised the white flag, admitting her defeat before her father goes off with another long-winded etiquette lesson.

"Where did your head drift off this time around? Is it to that boy Tatsuya-kun again?" Koichi playfully teased Mayumi, something that he has not done in quite a while.

Mayumi's cheeks begun to involuntarily burn, but she does not deny her father's speculation. However, she did pick up something amiss. Her father would not disturb her without any purpose, needless to say, tease her. Koichi is up to something yet again.

"What is it that you want me to do? Please do spare a thought for me by keeping in mind that I have my entrance examinations in just three days."

"Oh, come on. You know as well as I do that you will make the cut regardless. After all, you were ready for this exam a few years ago. My request is simple, I need you to have a partner. It is simply impossible for me to reject all of your suitors for any longer, it has come to a point where the diplomatic ties of our clan are at stake. Either you take one of the suitors out or you get Tatsuya-san. Your choice, but it has to be a fast one."

"How soon must I make my decision?"

"Time has run out on you, so it has to be now."

Mayumi bit her lips on Koichi's response. Sure, she did feel that her father was exaggerating the situation to a certain extent. It could not be so dire as to threaten the diplomatic tie of the Saegusa clan, but she could not deny that numerous suitors were disgruntled when they were not even given a chance to meet her in person. She also knew this was coming ever since her father spoke to her previously regarding her relationship status.

But Mayumi knew that this was the worst time possible for her to be faced with this situation. The only event that she would have a chance to meet Tatsuya was in the upcoming Graduation Party for the seniors, but she was doubtful that Tatsuya would even be present. Other than that, it was pretty much impossible for her to meet Tatsuya, much less date him.

"But I still can't date Tatsuya-kun, not yet at least. I will need at least another month."

"I believe I had already given you a deadline previously," Koichi stated, taking her memory back to the time in the study, where she requested for a month to get Tatsuya by her side. She would only have a mere week to go if she went by the deadline.

"A week is all you get, I can't extend the deadline any longer." Koichi gave Mayumi no room for any further negotiations. He made it clear and known that it was all the time she had left to get Tatsuya, dismissing all of Mayumi's pleads.

The motive of Koichi's moves was clear. He wanted to get his hands on Tatsuya as soon as he possibly can and his daughter was his best bet. He trusts that his daughter will not fail him, at least he hopes that she does not. For both her sake and Tatsuya's sake.

After Koichi left her room, her mind was in complete disarray, dashing all hopes of preparing for her entrance examinations. Out of respect for all of her suitors, she had decided to reject even casual dates since she did not want to create false hopes for them. Her sights were set on Tatsuya and Tatsuya only, there was no other way around it. Unlike most of her suitors, trying to get Tatsuya in a week is practically impossible, especially when she is particularly inexperienced in chasing after a guy.

All she could do at this point was to send Tatsuya another text, hoping that he would reply. Pulling out her terminal, she inevitably noticed her very one-sided text history with Tatsuya. Four hundred messages she sent in the two past weeks have still been unread by Tatsuya, she highly doubted that adding a message to the collection would change a thing but she tried anyway.

Letting out yet another sigh, she put aside her terminal and allowed her head to rest on the desk. The endless problems that she has to deal with recently took its toll on her. Not only is she extremely mentally fatigued, but small creases have also appeared on her face.

Before she sunk further into depression, her terminal gave her a glimpse of hope. She had just received a text. 'What are the odds?' She remained doubtful, it could have been from anybody.

She jumped straight up into the air when she saw Tatsuya's name pop up on her terminal. This was it, Tatsuya was out of isolation.

'Did you really have to send me four hundred and one messages in two weeks?' If it was anybody else, they would have thought that Tatsuya was annoyed with the message Tatsuya had sent.

'Did you really have to ignore them for two weeks?' Mayumi pouted out of habit, although she knew Tatsuya would not be able to see her.

'I would not ignore them if I didn't have a reason, would I? But what do you have for me, or is it just another routine message you have been sending for the past two weeks?'

'I was just wondering if you will be attending the Graduation Party.'

'Why wouldn't I? I've been told that I'm on duty.'

'Ow, so you will be busy for the entire night?' Although she was happy that she could at least see Tatsuya during the Graduation Party, she would not hide her sadness when she knew that Tatsuya would be busy.

'More or less, yes.'

'Can I steal you from the Public Moral Committee?'

'I would prefer if you don't do that, but I have a feeling that you are already on it.' Tatsuya was not wrong. Mayumi was already texting the current head of the Public Moral Committee, Chiyoda Kanon.

'Well you are no longer on duty for the Public Moral Committee, but you have another duty with me now.'

Tatsuya did not need to see the next message to know what Mayumi meant by that. As much as he wanted to take on his new duty, he was worried about Miyuki. He felt guilty just by using his terminal to communicate with Mayumi, although Miyuki technically allowed him to. He was not sure if he could handle the guilt of he was Mayumi's partner, let alone the attention of the public.

'You sure work fast.'

'I know you know I do, so answer my question.'

'Well, I cannot promise you anything.'

Mayumi sighed when she received the message. She knew that pressing on for answers will likely not get her any closer to making Tatsuya agree, but she was under such tremendous pressure from her father it left her with no other choice.

'Come on, after all the hard work to get you off duty.'

'I will try my best, but at this juncture, I cannot promise you anything.'

'Don't make me all alone on the day of the party, it will be really embarrassing for me you know.'

'You have so many people vying for the spot beside you, surely you will not be alone.'

'The spot has already been reserved for you, so how can you not take it already?'

'I wish I could, I really do.' Tatsuya put away the terminal immediately. The conversation was getting a little too emotional for him to handle. It ached his heart to not hold Mayumi's hand, but he also could not bear to leave Miyuki's side. It was impossible for him to choose between the two, but it was just as impossible to make them co-exist.

He laid in his bed, hands covering his eyes. He was having a headache again. The problems that were labelled to his name was too much for him to keep up. The responsibilities he has to shoulder were too much for him to bear. He was, after all, just a high school student.

He allowed his head to wander off and it inevitably went back to the previous day.

 **(Flashback)**

"Onii-sama, will it be me or Mayumi-san?" Miyuki's first words put Tatsuya in a rather tough spot.

To be completely honest with himself, Tatsuya did not even know who he would choose. Or rather, he knew that he could not choose between the two.

"Miyuki, must we really go at each other right now?" After a long day of battle, he did not have much in himself left to have this conversation.

"I saw how u reacted to Mayumi's injuries. You know as well as I do that the only other time it happened was in Okinawa." Miyuki said coldly, giving Tatsuya no chance to back off. She was determined to see it through this time, she had enough of Tatsuya's actions.

"I won't choose between the both of you. No, I can't choose between the both of you."

"Why? Is it because you are my Guardian? Is that stopping you from abandoning me?" Miyuki raised her volume uncontrollably as the temperature dropped drastically.

"No, please calm down. You are the only blood-related relative that I can trust, even if I am not your Guardian I would still not abandon you."

"Really? So why can't you choose me over Mayumi?"

"Honorifics, Miyuki, don't omit them."

"You should be glad I'm not calling her a vixen already, so answer my goddammed question!" Miyuki was fighting back tears with all her might as she screamed at Tatsuya. She wanted assurance that Tatsuya would stay by her side, that was all she ever wanted. But in a span of a year, Mayumi had destroyed a relationship that took Miyuki her whole life to build. Now she was even threatening to take away Tatsuya for good. Nothing infuriated her more than having to lose Tatsuya.

"I can't leave Mayumi-senpai, it's a matter of fact." Tatsuya seemed to have lost his voice, as his words drowned in the snow Miyuki had unleashed.

"Why? Why can't you leave her? Because you love her? You love her more than you love me?"

"Yes, I love her. But the love I show her is different from the love I show you, so it cannot be compared."

Miyuki's eyes widened for a moment. She was surprised that Tatsuya actually admitted his feelings for Mayumi in front of her. But the shock is quickly replaced by anger, as she leapt forward and gave Tatsuya a tight slap.

"BUT I LOVE YOU, NOT AS A BROTHER! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT ALREADY?" Tears streamed down Miyuki's face, she could not hold it back any longer as she shouted her lungs out.

Tatsuya fell absolutely silent. It was a little too much for him to take in at the moment. All this time he had thought that Miyuki showed affection towards him as a sister, not as a lover. In fact, he had never considered Miyuki as his lover, not even once.

"I never saw our relationship in that light. You know very well that inter-family relationship is strictly illegal, especially amongst magicians. There is no way this is going to work out."

Miyuki fell to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably. Her hopes are dashed for good. Her worse fear came true, her brother is not accepting of inter-family relationships. There was probably no place for her in Tatsuya's heart in the near future.

Tatsuya wanted to comfort Miyuki like he used to. He wanted to lend her his shoulder, to tell her 'it's alright', but he could not do it. He pains him to not be able to be there for Miyuki. It hurts him even more to be the cause of Miyuki's misery. He forced himself to retract his outstretched hand, not wanting to cause Miyuki any more misery.

"You are free to go. Do whatever you want, go to Mayumi if you wish to. Your oath and the magic that binds us is already gone." Miyuki mustered her courage and used Flash Cast on a spell Tatsuya had never seen before.

Then Tatsuya felt it, a strange sense of freedom. In the instant Miyuki used Flash Cast, Tatsuya was still able to catch a glimpse of the magic sequence. It did not give him nearly enough information to make out what the spell is, but it gave him just enough information to know that Miyuki was not targeting him at all. In fact, the target was rather vague, since it was neither him nor Miyuki herself.

"What did you do?" Tatsuya asked Miyuki with a pair of worried eyes.

"I severed the spell that forcefully binds you to me. I am no longer the 'key' to you, Pledge has been broken for good."

Tatsuya had a million questions flooding his head. Pledge had been a magic that is said to be irreversible. It was an ancient magic that has been passed down from generation to generation within the Yotsuba Family, the basis of their Guardian system. Through the long and rich history of the Yotsuba clan, nobody has ever gotten close to severing the effects of Pledge.

"How… Why did you–."

"Because you forced me to do it. You forced me to stay up every night just to research this magic. You forced me to use myself as a guinea pig just to figure out how to reverse Pledge!" Miyuki shouted at Tatsuya with indescribable rage, trying to conceal her misery. But her angry façade did not last for long, as she soon began to break down, turning the rage into anguish. She sobbed dearly, as her voice softens in despair. "… I realised long before today about your feelings towards Mayumi, but I just didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to imagine what it was like for you to leave me, but we have come to a point where I can't think of your future with me in the picture."

The wave of guilt hit Tatsuya hard. He knew right from the start that hanging around Mayumi would be troublesome, yet he did not force himself to part with her before things escalated. Now, it was causing pain and misery for Miyuki. It was hurting her and there was nothing he could do to protect her. He has failed his duty as a Guardian, he failed to protect Miyuki against himself.

Unable to comfort Miyuki nor watch her in her misery for any longer, Tatsuya went back to his room with a heavy heart. Without his knowledge, a tear rolled down his cheek. His usual cold gaze was betrayed by a single tear, which is also a first for him.

 **(Scene Change)**

Maya sat in her study, her hands rubbing against her temples. This has been the new routine ever since Jiedo Heigu died. She was feeling the wrath of Jiedo Heigu's plans in full right now. It seemed that Jiedo Heigu had lined up numerous problems for her to tackle head-on and each of them had the capability to destroy her clan. Every move she had to make from now on must be flawless.

"Maya-sama, your lunch is ready," Hayama informed Maya right on time as part of her daily routine.

"I'll skip today's lunch as well." Maya had no appetite for any food. It has been on-going for several days and it does not seem to be changing any time soon. At least not until half her problems have been resolved.

"If you would allow me to ask, has Miyuki-sama's situation worsened?" Hayama asked respectfully, not wanting to step out of line.

"It would seem so, the last they talked was after they quarrelled. Although Tatsuya's love for the eldest daughter could be a boon rather than a bane, I would prefer if my dear Miyuki is not hurt." Maya would be lying if she said she was not slightly amused by how the situation escalated between Miyuki and Tatsuya. It reminded her so much of how passionate youths can be when it comes to love.

"That would only be the case if the eldest daughter of the Saegusa is accepted into our clan, but I highly doubt that will happen once Tatsuya-san identity is made known." Hayama expressed his opinion as he usually did as Maya's adviser.

"As long as Tatsuya stays loyal to the Yotsuba, it doesn't matter if he is in the Yotsuba or the Saegusa clan, he will always be of help to us. In fact, it might be better if he joined the Saegusa clan. However, ensuring that Tatsuya stays loyal to our clan is difficult. Currently, it is done through Miyuki, but if they sever their relationship, anything could happen." Using bugs Maya had in the Shiba Residence, Maya was able to completely analyse the current situation.

"Tatsuya-san will never be able to leave the Yotsuba clan, not when he is still the Guardian of Miyuki-sama."

"Tatsuya is no longer the Guardian of Miyuki, his oath has been severed along with Pledge by Miyuki. At this point, we cannot afford to lose Tatsuya. God knows how many more magic sequences he has come up with judging by the amount of time he spent in his lab over the past week."

"What do you propose we do?"

"We strike a deal, either with Miyuki or Koichi."

 **(Scene Change)**

Tatsuya's schedule was more or less back to normal. He was out of isolation from the rest of the world ever since Miyuki gave him permission to and now, he was back to doing his usual routine. Although he did raise an eyebrow when he went to train with Kokonoe Yakumo without Miyuki, not many people doubted his absence.

It was all going well, but he was approaching the riskiest part of his schedule – his visit to the Saegusa residence as a CAD engineer. He used to enjoy them since he was able to spend time with Mayumi. But now, he dreaded it, not because of Mayumi but Koichi. Koichi would surely have questions for him and he felt that with every passing day Koichi was closer to unveiling his identity. With the recent happenings that forced Tatsuya to show his cards, he was sure that some of it would have caught the attention of the 10MC members.

"Tatsuya-kun, you came after all!" Mayumi ran to the door after she saw Tatsuya ringing the doorbell, almost throwing herself into his arms. She stopped herself before she could, keeping in mind that his father was probably watching.

"I couldn't skip for another week, could I?" Tatsuya said in a matter-of-fact tone as he walked to his workshop within the Saegusa Residence.

"Of course you can't, in fact, don't ever skip it ever again. But more importantly, will you be my partner or not?" Mayumi's eyes were glistered with hope as she waited for Tatsuya's reply.

"I decline, is what I want to say. But obviously I do not have the capability to say no to you, do I?" Tatsuya was able to mask his guilt in front of Mayumi, but his heart was definitely very heavy when he said it.

Mayumi pouted at Tatsuya's reply, but she was happy nonetheless. Tatsuya is going to be hers for an evening, what more could she ask for?

"I understand that you prefer to have your dinner at home, so how about afternoon tea with us?" Koichi came out of nowhere with a devious smile as he invited Tatsuya. "Oh, do not worry about the CAD maintenance, that can be saved for next week. It isn't like another war is about to break out now."

Koichi's invitation did not sit well with Tatsuya. He knew that Koichi would not propose an afternoon tea with him without an ulterior motive and the fact that it took precedence over his job to maintain CAD made Tatsuya all the more suspicious. But he was not given much of a choice by Koichi either, especially when Koichi was staring right at him.

"What is it this time, father?" Mayumi's pout turned into a frown as she glared at her father. Anyone who interferes with her moment with Tatsuya would rouse her wrath and her father is not excluded either.

"You should join us as well, Mayumi. This concerns you as well." Koichi said calmly, brushing off Mayumi's threatening gaze. He then diverted his attention back to Tatsuya, where he saw him still trying to make out an excuse to decline his invitation. "Well, Tatsuya-kun, what do you say? It isn't very polite to make your elders wait."

Koichi left Tatsuya with no other choice. He could not afford to offend the head of the Saegusa clan, the consequences will not sit well with him.

"The reason I wanted this afternoon tea is none other than to discuss my daughter's future. Tatsuya-kun, as you may know, my daughter is of age to be married. So let me not beat around the bush any further and ask you if you would choose her as your partner?"

The bluntness of Koichi's words struck as a surprise to both Mayumi and Tatsuya. It was not a conventional way of getting a daughter married, but Koichi went with it anyway.

This inevitably created a very awkward atmosphere, especially when it was the first thing Koichi said when they sat down. Neither Mayumi nor Tatsuya could hide their stupefaction, let alone respond to Koichi's question.

"I know this is a little sudden for both of you, but time is running out on my side as well, so do excuse me for my bluntness. However, I'm afraid that we must come to a resolution before our afternoon tea ends." Koichi read the atmosphere and figured that this conversation would never proceed if he did not prompt Tatsuya and Mayumi.

"I can't give you an immediate answer, Koichi-san." Tatsuya was the first to respond to Koichi.

"That is not the correct answer, Tatsuya-san. I understand that it is a lot for you to take in, so even dating for a while is fine by me, there is no need to rush into marriage. But what I need to know is if you can commit to my daughter."

Tatsuya clenched his fist under the table. He managed to avoid giving Miyuki a direct answer as to choosing between Mayumi and her, but now he is forced by Koichi to give an answer. Mayumi or Miyuki. The choice that he could not bring himself to make must be made. He knew the consequences of either option, a lot was on the line. Choosing Mayumi would mean losing Miyuki and the opposite is true. A misstep could mean war between Yotsuba and Saegusa.

"There should not be much to consider, go with your gut." Koichi was not satisfied with how Tatsuya was keeping silent still. He was getting impatient, he wanted Tatsuya in his family this very instant.

"Father, perhaps you should give us some time before he answers you." Mayumi noticed how troubled Tatsuya was and tried to help him.

"You know as well as I do how urgent your situation currently is. We cannot afford any more delays."

"I am willing to commit to your daughter, but I would like to request that we start slow." Tatsuya was able to muster his courage and stayed true to his feelings. The decision has been made, there was no way for him to back out now. He would lose Miyuki, not that he could accept it, neither was he fine with it, but he would have to figure out a way.

"Great! Incredible news! As long as both of you take your first steps, I will allow both of you to dictate the rest of your relationship." Koichi was beyond jubilant when Tatsuya agreed. The future of the Saegusa family in his eyes was secured, not even the Yotsuba will be able to stop them, not when Tatsuya is in their arsenal.

Mayumi shared the joy Koichi had, but for very different reasons. Although she was still a little pissed at her father for not letting her confess to Tatsuya on her own, she was still happy that Tatsuya was willing to finally take her out on dates.

"I shall not interrupt the both of you for any longer, go spend some time together," Koichi said as he left the dining room, leaving Mayumi and Tatsuya together.

"Can I take it as a yes for tomorrow's graduation party as well?" Mayumi turned to Tatsuya the moment Koichi closed the door of the dining room.

"Now that we are a couple, of course, I must be your partner. Nobody else will ever be able to take that spot, am I wrong?"

"It has your name written all over it, who else would dare to take that spot? But are you really alright with this arrangement? My father can be a little overboard sometimes." Tatsuya seemed to not be sharing the joy Mayumi had at all, which was definitely a cause for concern for Mayumi.

"I'm just worried, that's all." Tatsuya figured that putting on a strong front will not help him, so he decided to open up to Mayumi. It was the indisputable truth when Tatsuya said that he was worried, it has already overridden his usually stoic face.

"Is it about the attention that you will be getting? Or… is it over your sister?" Truth to be told, with everything said and done, Mayumi did feel a little guilty about stealing Tatsuya from Miyuki. Not that she would ever regret it, but it was a little bittersweet for her.

"Both, but mainly my sister. You see, things didn't sit well with her when I was with you. Now that I'm dating you openly, I'm afraid that she might act up." Tatsuya said. What he told Mayumi was not exactly a lie, but it is far from the completed story.

"She will have to eventually get over it since both of you will not be able to remain together forever, at least not in the eyes of this society. I have to admit that your sister is a very strong magician, so she might be married off in just a few years just like me."

Tatsuya gave Mayumi a bitter smile, it was the only expression he can make out right now. He was glad that Mayumi was the understanding type that would give him time and space when he really needed it. It was something Tatsuya really had hoped his sister would learn sooner rather than later.

"Can I bring you to my room again?" Mayumi asked playfully, switching the mood from a gloomy one to a rather playful one.

"Aren't you afraid of me in your room?" Tatsuya raised an eyebrow in response, sharing a flashback with Mayumi to what happened in her room the last time they both went in.

"What is there to be afraid of now? That you will suddenly break up with me and make this relationship the shortest one ever?" Mayumi refuted the thought of Tatsuya breaking her heart once more. She was confident that it won't ever happen, not when Tatsuya has already accepted her.

Both of them shared a laugh as they savoured the moment they had together. Somehow, both of their guts told them they had to savour it, since it may disappear at any moment. It was just a feeling, but they went with it anyway.

* * *

 **A/N** **Do leave a comment, follow or favourite if you enjoyed the story.**

 **Please do support me on other platforms as well! (Wattpad and AO3, link in profile)**


	15. Conflict Arc 2

**A/N Yay I'm glad that I'm on track to update at least once a week and I hope procrastination doesn't stop me from doing so for the following weeks. Anyways, do enjoy this chapter of Predicament.**

* * *

Golden rays of the rising sun barely grazed Yotsuba Maya's skin before the entire room is engulfed by complete darkness again. The cup of tea she was holding shook so violently in her hands that it broke into a thousand pieces. She was staring at the information that Hliðskjálf is displaying, which reads:

Name: Shiba Tatsuya,  
Father: Shiba Tatsurou, Vice President of Four Leaves Technology  
Mother: Yotsuba Miya, the late sister of Yotsuba Maya  
Official family affiliation: Yotsuba Clan  
School: National Magic University Affiliated First High School Class E  
Occupation: Special Officer Ooguro Ryuuya of the 101 Independent Magic Battalion, Mr Silver of the Four Leaves Technology  
Magic: Decomposition, Regrowth, Material Burst, Elemental Sight  
Magician Class: Strategic Class  
Titles: Demon of Okinawa

Just then, Hayama came rushing into the room only to be crippled with fear by Maya's magic.

"What is it Hayama?" Maya's gaze seemingly pierced a hole straight through Hayama.

"T-This is a package addressed to you which is allegedly from Jiedo Heigu." This was one of the few rare cases where Hayama displayed signs of unprofessionalism, a testament to how much fear Maya instils with a mere display of her magic.

Maya snatched the package from Hayama's hands and ripped it open. It was a simple package that contained a countdown timer and a little note from Jiedo Heigu which states that all information displayed in the Hliðskjálf will go live once the countdown timer runs out of time.

Maya leaned back on her chair and closed her eyes before taking in a deep breath. It helped to unfold the creases that had formed in the past few minutes and collect her nerves. "This couldn't have come at a better time, looking at how strained our relationship with Tatsuya and Miyuki are. Be as it may, what had just transpired still needs to be conveyed to both Tatsuya and Miyuki. Hayama, clean up the spilt tea and connect me to the Shiba Household immediately."

"At once, Maya-sama." Hayama made sure to be swift in cleaning up and left as soon as he as done.

"At any rate, this situation has escalated past my expectations. It would seem that decisive actions will need to be taken sooner than expected." It was not as if Maya was completely caught off guard by Jiedo Heigu's plans. In fact, she had been coming up with countermeasures every day ever since Jiedo Heigu's death. But not even in her wildest dreams did she expect Jiedo Heigu to be able to hack into the Hliðskjálf and even take control over it. She was prepared that one day Tatsuya's identity would have to be revealed to the world, but she never wanted that day to come so soon for she knew many repercussions were to follow.

 **(Scene Change)**

In the days following the incident which many refer to as 'Uprising of the Dead', the Government declared a national emergency and a shutdown of the entire city of Tokyo. Adhering to the shutdown order, First High School suspended all curriculum and activities within the school, which freed students from school. However, the atmosphere was rather damp. Many are still trying to recover from the horror of 'Uprising of the Dead'.

Tatsuya and Miyuki were no exception to the gloom, except they weren't recovering from the horrors of the incident but the quarrel they had.

Tatsuya, in particular, had a very pressing problem. Ever since Miyuki permanently removed Pledge on Tatsuya, his Psion rushed out of his body uncontrollably. Without hiding the blinding stream of light emitted by his Psion, it would be impossible for him to even step out of his house. The solution Tatsuya had to solve this problem was simple. Since he could no longer seal the Psion, he would just have to use enough magic at every given moment such that he would deplete enough Psion for it not to overflow.

Given his unorthodox situation, there was no magic sequence that he could learn which will suit his needs. However, he was no stranger to such situation, after all his whole life has been filled with irregularities. In such a situation, he would just have to invent a new magic sequence for himself

Using time he had away from school, Tatsuya locked himself up in his own basement laboratory crafting a complementary set of magic sequence to add onto his existing Elemental Sight. Since he knew that he had a large volume of Psion to work with, he decided not to compromise at all with the new magic sequence.

The end product was more than satisfactory. With this new improvement, Tatsuya was now a living and breathing state-of-the-art radar, with a range that is equivalent to or better than that of the military. Furthermore, Elemental Sight allowed him to passively track anything in the physical or Information dimension. With such drastic improvements being made, he felt that a new name had to be given to this magic— Clairvoyance.

He carried on to use Clairvoyance to track Miyuki and Mayumi. Only after he confirmed that both of them are not harmed during the five-minute interval where he switched from Elemental Sight to Clairvoyance did he finally allowed himself to take a breather. With Clairvoyance now fully replacing Elemental Sight, the Psion flowing out of Tatsuya slowly but surely disappeared.

The feeling was very subtle, but Miyuki managed to pick it up. The sense of security that she had always enjoyed abruptly disappeared. This could only indicate that Tatsuya's Elemental Sight was no longer in effect. Panic surged from within her. Putting aside the animosity between herself and Tatsuya, she rushed to the basement laboratory where Tatsuya was at.

"Onii-sama! Are you alright?"

Since Clairvoyance was already tracking Miyuki, Tatsuya knew that Miyuki was coming down to the laboratory. What he did not expect was for Miyuki to barge in with a panic-stricken face. His first instinct led him to suspect that trouble was brewing while he was down at the laboratory, which made him activate Clairvoyance once more to sweep for potential threats.

"I'm alright, what happened?" Tatsuya said after he had ascertained that nobody hostile was in the vicinity did he allow Miyuki to command his full attention.

"I felt your Elemental Sight abruptly disappearing."

"That was simply because I upgraded my Elemental Sight. I'm still using my magic to monitor you now, do you not feel it?"

"Onii-sama upgraded Elemental Sight?" Miyuki was unable to hide her amazement. Evolving a magic sequence was unheard of, in fact, this may be the first instance where magic is said to be evolved.

"Yes, my Elemental Sight now has added capabilities. But in order to prevent confusion, I have decided to rename it as Clairvoyance."

"Well, that is an amazing feat for sure." As the conversation dragged on, it started to get increasingly awkward. After all, this was their first conversation since they had quarrelled. Although Tatsuya did not hold any grudge towards Miyuki, it was Miyuki who struggled to overcome her emotions when she talked to Tatsuya.

However, Tatsuya was not about to let this golden opportunity of mending his relationship with Miyuki slip. Sensing that the conversation was gradually falling apart, Tatsuya was determined to revive it. Yet before he could start, Maya's voice filled the laboratory.

"Tatsuya-san and Miyuki-san, head up to the living room at once." A chill involuntarily ran down both Tatsuya's and Miyuki's spine as both of them exchanged glances. The rage-filled voice they heard was unmistakable. Only Yotsuba Maya was capable of instilling so much fear with mere words.

"I won't beat around the bush this time around. Tatsuya-san, your identity has been compromised and it will be leaked to the public within a week. The perpetrator is none other than Jiedo Heigu. Unfortunately for us, there is no way of stopping this."

"I see, what are your orders?" Tatsuya did not seem to be fazed by the news or Maya's tone which was downright impressive.

"Stay vigilant and prepare for the worse after the announcement. Miyuki, you will surely be caught up in this as well since the leaked information includes Tatsuya's connection to the Yotsuba family."

"Understood"

"Understood"

After confirmation from both Tatsuya and Miyuki, Maya ended her transmission abruptly. She was not in the mood to entertain them any further.

"Onii-sama, are we really not going to do anything about this?"

"If even the Yotsuba Main House is unable to do anything about this situation, then it would prove to be rather dire. The best option we have is to comply with Oba-ue's orders."

"I understand."

A long and awkward pause silenced the room. Both Miyuki and Tatsuya sat facing each other on the same couch but Miyuki consciously distanced herself from Tatsuya.

"Miyuki, can we at least put aside our animosity for now at least?" Tatsuya finally mustered up his courage to ask Miyuki. In such a dire and potentially hostile situation, not mending their relationship can prove to be fatal.

"Before that, I need you to answer a question of mine."

"Go ahead."

"Is it true that Onii-sama is dating that vix—," Miyuki forcibly cut herself off to prevent the conversation from turning sour yet again by calling Mayumi a 'vixen'.

"Yes, I am dating Mayumi-senpai. Koichi-dono personally pressured us into doing so publicly."

"I see… It will be difficult… but I will try." To Miyuki, it was a rather daunting task. She was unsure if she could put up with turning a blind eye to her brother dating Mayumi.

"Thank you, Miyuki." It wasn't as if Tatsuya didn't understand that it was difficult for Miyuki. But it was also equally as difficult for him since he landed himself in such a peculiar situation. Restraining his urge to meet Mayumi was tough enough, yet he still had to juggle the opinions of the public when news spreads that he was accepted as the suitor of the eldest daughter of the Saegusa family. On top of that, his biggest concern was perhaps that the leakage of his secret identities wrecking his relationship entirely.

 **(Scene Change)**

Tatsuya spent his time considering how he was going to deal with the repercussions of his identities being exposed. He was inevitably caught in a tough dilemma. On one hand, felt that it was only right if the people that he had trust knew first, since he may be ordered to go into solitude after the announcement by Maya. Yet, he was worried that his friends would be caught up in danger if they knew too much about him and be accused of being his accomplice.

However, the sole person who would be caught up with his trouble regardless of whether she was informed or not was Mayumi. Being a member of the Ten Master Clan as well as his partner, it was impossible for her to avoid coming under scrutiny. With that, he picked up his cell phone and texted Mayumi.

'Mayumi-senpai, are you free tomorrow?'

'Already missing me?'

'I would be reluctant to call this a date. There is something important that I need to show you. Can you meet me at the train station in the morning tomorrow?'

'Sure, but what are you up to?'

'I can't relay that message through text, but you will find out tomorrow.'

Upon confirmation that Mayumi agreed to the trip happening on the next day, Tatsuya tossed his terminal aside and laid in his bed. He was afraid. He was afraid of losing the girl he fell for. He was afraid that Miyuki would get hurt because of him. He was afraid that he will not be able to be himself ever again.

"Jeez, what is he up to anyway? Suddenly being so secretive, unless this has to do with his work with the military… Ah, it has to be it! But why does he want to show me his work, I'm sure he said it himself that it is classified as a top-secret." Mayumi may not be able to ascertain Tatsuya's objective, but she could not care less. She was content that she was going out with Tatsuya and that was all that mattered to her.

 **(Scene Change)**

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Tatsuya-kun." Mayumi was still considered rather early, having reached the train station a good five minutes before the arranged meeting time but Tatsuya was already waiting for her with two tickets in hand.

"No, you didn't take long at all." Tatsuya took the opportunity to take in a few glances of Mayumi's outfit. She dressed simply in a full-length dress, a jacket and a sunhat.

Mayumi took notice of this and her teasing nature immediately showed, "so, do I look cute enough for you?"

"I would say that you look more mature than cute, but nonetheless you are still beautiful." The usual stoic tone of Tatsuya was gone and instead replaced by a sincere one. This immediately proved to be effective as Mayumi's cheeks began to burn.

"Now you look cute." Tatsuya used his right hand to gently cup Mayumi's cheek, which only caused her face to turn into a darker shade of red.

"H-Hey, let's not draw unnecessary to ourselves. There are people around us!" Mayumi said in an attempt to get out of this embarrassing situation.

Tatsuya was not willing to let Mayumi escape so easily just yet, so he decided to press on. "What are you talking about? There is nobody here in the wee hours of the morning. We can do whatever we want." Tatsuya said softly as he moved even closer to Mayumi.

"B-But we will miss the train! That's right, we will miss the train!" Flustered, Mayumi quickly threw another excuse at Tatsuya.

Tatsuya frowned at Mayumi in response and spared her from any further tease. As much as Tatsuya wanted to deny it, Mayumi was not wrong when she said that they might miss the train. They only had ten minutes before the train departs. Grabbing Mayumi's hand, Tatsuya walked with Mayumi to board the train.

Both of them went straight to the private apartment of the train. Private apartments on trains are commonly used by politicians or businessman who wish to conduct high profile meetings that require a high level of secrecy. This was because the private apartments could completely be isolated from the outside world with just a touch of a button. Of course, such luxury comes with a hefty price tag, but Tatsuya could easily afford it with the pay he was receiving from the Four Leaves Technology working as Taurus Silver.

"So, what do you want to show me today?" Mayumi grasped the severity of what Tatsuya wanted to tell her when she found out that they were going to the private apartment of the train. Although she did not have much experience in a private apartment of a train, she had heard her father use it quite a number of times. As such, she knew that the level of secrecy was tip top.

"There is a lot of explaining on my part that I have to do today, so I hope that you will be patient with me."

Mayumi nodded and waited for Tatsuya in anticipation. The playful look of hers was replaced by a serious one, which made her look like a true matured Ojou-sama.

Tatsuya wanted to blurt out everything in one go, but he did not know where to begin. There was just so much to him that is unknown to Mayumi. With a sigh, he decided to start on parts of his identities that Mayumi is already aware of.

"For starters, I'm sure you still remember my performance as an Engineer during the 9SC."

"Of course, you worked wonders! You were a big reason why we could dominate the competition. Even A-chan agreed that your work may very well be on par with Taurus Silver."

"Well, my work will naturally be on par with Taurus Silver. That is because I'm part of the Taurus Silver duo. I am Mr Silver, the half in charge of all the software."

"What?! Tatsuya-kun is Mr Silver?" Mayumi shouted out loud, before covering her mouth and reproaching herself for shouting.

"Yes, why else would I be able to create magical sequences the short span of a few days and obtain the flying magic sequence?"

It all made sense to Mayumi now. Tatsuya had always had exceptional abilities when it came to Magic Engineering, and it can be said that his work exceeds most if not all of the professional magic engineers that Mayumi has come across.

"That is incredible! Doesn't that mean that all this while, I had the honour of having Mr Silver personally maintaining my CAD?" Mayumi was filled with amazement and admiration for Tatsuya although she was in her own right considered established.

"Yes, and your boyfriend just so happens to be Mr Silver as well. But there is still more than that to my true identity."

"There's still more to come?" Excitement filled Mayumi's words.

"Yeah, but let's continue this conversation after we have reached our destination. It would be easier to just show you than to tell you."

 **(Scene Change)**

"Miyuki-chan, I have been meaning to speak to you privately for quite a while now." Talking to Miyuki was none other than Maya. Yielding no response from Miyuki, Maya decided to continue. "As you would know, the current situation is rather perilous. As it stands, even if you and Tatsuya try to deny allegations of your connection to the Yotsuba, nobody will believe you. So, do you still wish to foolishly go against me?" Personally, Maya still thinks that the resolve of Miyuki was not strong enough to go against her. The very fact that they complied to her orders in the previous call was enough to serve as evidence.

"I will only comply if I agree with your actions." The firm voice of Miyuki made it clear that she was not intending to allow Maya to use her ever again.

"Let's leave it at that then. I will take it that Tatsuya-san will go with your decision as well."

"Please do."

"From now on, keep a low profile. If things get out of hand, both of you will have to relocate, be prepared for that."

"Yes, Oba-ue."

"Goodbye for now, and tell Tatsuya to be prepared to tie up the loose ends regarding the Ojou of the Saegusa Clan. I personally cannot imagine how brutally Koichi-san will throw Tatsuya-san out once he finds out that Tatsuya-san has a Yotsuba origin."

"He is doing just that as we speak," Miyuki said with an affirmative nod.

 **(Scene Change)**

Since there were no roads or any transportation methods available to reach their destination, Mayumi and Tatsuya had to trek by foot for a good hour or so before finally arriving at a secluded seaside. For miles on end, there were no signs of any humans.

"Hmmm, this isn't too bad a spot for a quiet and relaxing date. It was worth the effort after all." Mayumi commented when she reached the beach.

"I wouldn't disagree," Tatsuya said as he pulled out his Trident. He loaded a special cartridge and handed Mayumi a pair of special glasses. "You will need to put this on. Watch my magic carefully. I am going to blow up half the island."

As Mayumi put the glasses on, she thought that Tatsuya was absurd. She needed to use the specially enhanced telescopic function of the glasses before she could see an uninhabited island off the shores of Japan. To even aim accurately at the island from such a distance is tough even for the famed Elven Sniper. Needless to say, that blowing it up was completely ridiculous. Only the Strategic Class Magic dubbed as 'Great Bomb' by those who had witnessed the 'Scorched Halloween' was capable of doing that.

"You seem to really want to impress me, Tatsuya-kun. At such a distance, it would be difficult for my magic to reach the island, much less blow it up. Only the Strategic Class Magician behind the 'Scorched Halloween' could do it." Mayumi said gleefully.

Tatsuya only looked at her with a pained smile before in response.

At that moment, something seemed to click in Mayumi. "It cannot be… Tatsuya-kun is just a high schooler…"

Tatsuya carried on with his demonstration. This time around, Tatsuya did not need the special CAD "Third Eye" since he could replace it with his new magic, Clairvoyance. He aimed his Trident at the island miles in front of him and used Clairvoyance to identify a target he would use Material Burst on. Since he only wanted to blow up half the island, he did not need to bring out the full destructive force of Material Burst. Hence the target he chose for Material Burst was just a strand of grass.

Mayumi could feel that Tatsuya was going to use a powerful magic. She held her breath and stared at Tatsuya in complete disbelief as he gathered his Psion at the tip of Trident before firing at the island.

Within a second of Tatsuya pulling the trigger, a massive explosion happened on the island, wiping out half the island from the face of the Earth.

"Tatsuya-kun, don't tell me that you are…" Overcame with disbelief, Mayumi widened her eyes and struggled to force words out of her mouth.

"That is another part of me," Tatsuya answered in a stoic tone.

"So, you are the one who is responsible for the 'Scorched Halloween'? You are the mysterious wielder of that Strategic Class Magic?" Blooded had already faded from Mayumi's face.

"That is correct, I am also a Strategic Class Magician and the wielder of Material Burst, better known as the 'Great Bomb' and the man responsible for the 'Scorched Halloween'. I also happen to be Mahesvara, the Demon of Okinawa."

"You… Why do you… What?!" There were so many questions flooding Mayumi that she did not know which one to ask first.

"Take it in a little bit at a time, Mayumi-senpai. I will answer your questions, but ask them one at a time." Tatsuya grabbed Mayumi by her shoulders and gently sat her down.

"This is getting a little ridiculous, Tatsuya-kun. You mean to say that Mr Silver of Taurus Silver, the Demon of Okinawa as well as the Strategic Class Magician behind 'Scorched Halloween' is not three separate people, but it is you?" Mayumi was still baffled by what she had just witnessed, unable to digest the information that she was given.

"That is correct."

"Doesn't that make you too unfair? I mean, you are just a high schooler and yet you are capable of so much. In fact, I think an argument can be made that you are stronger than all of the military forces in the world! Doesn't that make you the strongest magician alive?" Mayumi's disbelief turned into sheer amazement. Despite just being a high schooler, Tatsuya had achieved feats that many magicians couldn't even dream of. Yet, the moment she let those words out she was hit with regret.

"I… I don't want that title to be placed beside my name," Tatsuya responded with a forced smile.

This made Mayumi realise the gravity of such Tatsuya's identity. Sure, it was amazing to be the greatest and most powerful magician alive. But all the responsibility that he is shouldering silently is still far too much for a mere high schooler. After all, he was still a human being. Even if he had all the talent and capabilities, the consequences that it came along with is not pleasant at all.

"I'm sorry…" An apology was the least Mayumi could do after making Tatsuya so despondent. "Is that why you work so hard towards developing non-combative magic?"

"Yes, what I want to achieve is to liberate magicians from the role of being a weapon, not to create deadlier weapons derived from magic."

"Such a noble dream, no wonder I had my sights set on you," Mayumi said as she leaned on Tatsuya's shoulders to comfort him.

"So, tell me, is that all there is to you?" Mayumi asked with caution. She speculated that Tatsuya had nothing else to hide, after all, he had just dropped three bombshells on her within a morning, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

"There is just one more thing," Tatsuya said while avoiding Mayumi's gaze.

"What is it?"

"The blood that runs through me is from the Yotsuba Clan. In other words, I am the nephew of the current head of Yotsuba, Yotsuba Maya."

"You are what?" Mayumi screamed in bewilderment.

It took a lot of courage to open up about his identity to Mayumi. Partly because they were top national secrets, but also because it will inevitably end with him stating his relations to the Yotsuba Clan. Tatsuya knew that by doing so, he may leave Mayumi with no choice but to leave him, which was a painful outcome that Tatsuya would want to avoid. However, since the news was going public in a matter of days, he thought it would be best for Mayumi to have at least a few days to consolidate her thoughts and feelings before the news reaches her father.

Mayumi withdrew her head from Tatsuya's shoulders placed some distance between them out of reflex. The word 'Yotsuba' is associated with so much fear that it would make anyone jump the moment they hear it, so by contrast, Mayumi's reaction was rather mild.

"Mayumi," Tatsuya looked straight at Mayumi and commanded the attention of her," can you still accept me for who I am even after all of this?" Tatsuya was prepared for the worse and for the very first time in a long time he truly felt fear— the fear of rejection.

It took a long pause as both of them stared wordlessly at each other before Mayumi came up with her answer. She went ahead and embraced Tatsuya, burying herself in his chest as her form of an answer. "My love for you isn't that shallow, nothing will tear us apart."

"The road ahead of us will surely be a bumpy one," Tatsuya said with a reassuring smile. He firmly wrapped his hands around Mayumi, before pulling her up to share a kiss.

"Does it even matter?" Mayumi said playfully before passionately returning the kiss.

To her, it didn't matter how much adversity they would face if Tatsuya was by his side. As long as Tatsuya remains by her side, she was confident that they would be able to pull through.

"But Tatsuya-kun, why do you choose to tell me everything now?" Mayumi poked her head out of Tatsuya's hold to look at Tatsuya as she asked her question.

"Everything that you have seen, everything that you have just heard, it will all go public in a matter of days."

"Everything that you told me will go public? That is insane! This should be a top national secret!"

"It is not by my choice or the Yotsuba Clan's choice. This is said to be the final act of Jiedo Heigu."

"The final act of Jiedo Heigu?" Mayumi seemed to be even more confused by this statement. Jiedo Heigu had been pronounced dead at the end of 'The Uprising of the Dead', so it should not be possible for Jiedo Heigu to be able to announce the identity of Tatsuya.

"I myself do not know the details, but my Aunt is sure of it."

"I see… What are you going to do about it then? I'm sure that there will be many consequences following the announcement. For one my father will definitely go insane."

"The truth is that I have no idea, so I want to at least let you know now just in case I have to go into hiding. You know, if it comes to that then we may not be able to see each other for quite some time."

"Hmmm, I guess you are right." Mayumi couldn't hide her disappointment in her tone even when she tried to.

"Which is why I want you to have this." Tatsuya pulled out a swallow shaped* pendant made from many different kinds of exquisite diamond. (The swallow is a symbol that signifies hope in numerous historic literature.)

"It's beautiful." Mayumi was captivated by the dazzling and symbolic pendant. What made her heart pound even harder was the fact that it was the first gift Tatsuya had ever bought her since they started dating and he had already set the bar so high for himself. Judging by the pendant, although small in size, the myriad of rare diamonds on the pendant would easily propel the cost of the pendant to the seven-digit price tag domain.

Unlatching the pendant, Tatsuya helped Mayumi put the pendant on. More than anything, he was glad that Mayumi loved the gift he bought for her.

The most nerve-wracking part of the morning ended on a light note for the couple, now there was nothing but to enjoy themselves to the fullest in their little paradise with nobody to disturb them.

* * *

 **A/N If you are enjoying this fanfic so far do follow/favourite. If you have any inputs, feel free to drop a comment as well. As always, thank you for supporting this fanfic and see you guys next week!**


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